RELIABILITY OF SEROLOGICAL METHODS FOR DETECTION OF LEISHMANIASIS IN PORTUGUESE DOMESTIC AND WILD RESERVOIRS

A direct agglutination test (DAT) and an immunofluorescence technique (IFAT) were compared for detection of leishmania infantum infection in 43 dogs and five foxes from Alto-Douro and Arrabida, two known endemi c areas in Portugal. In four dogs with proved canine leishmaniasis, bo th DAT and IFAT showed positive readings (titres greater than or equal to 1:320 and greater than or equal to 1:128). Of 34 samples collected from apparently healthy dogs, ten were positive by both serological t ests and eight were serologically positive by one test or the other. T hree foxes out of five captured in this area scored titres indicative of leishmaniasis in both DAT and IFAT. The concordance between DAT and IFAT in all collected samples (48) was 81.25%. Considering these and previous studies in the adjacent Mediterranean areas, the seroprevalen ce of L. infantum infection in the canine and vulpine populations appe ar to be of high magnitude.