Seroepidemiological study of visceral Leishmaniasis in stray dogs from Alborz, Iran

Canine Leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum is a major global zoonosis, potentially fatal to humans and dogs.Blood samples were taken and collected from cephalic or saphenous vein from 85 stray dogs of different ages, breeds, and both genders that were registered in the Karaj municipality's dog camping and 60 stray dogs that were registered in the Kohsar district. After separation of blood sera, anti-Leishmanial antibodies were detected by direct agglutination test (DAT). Out of 85 stray dogs samples from the Karaj municipality's dog camping, 38(44.7%) were males and 47(55.3%) were females and out of these, 4(4.7%) of them were positive for visceral Leishmaniasis that three of them were male and one was female. All of the seropositive dogs were symptomatic. Out of 60 stray dogs samples from the kohsar district, 14(23.3%) of them were positive for visceral Leishmaniasis that 6(10%) of positine cases were males and 8(13.3%) were females .Among the seropositive dogs in this regions, 4(6.6%) cases were asymptomatic and 10(16.66%) cases were symptomatic. there was not any significant difference between season of sample collection .Visceral Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease; therefore, the need for continuous surveillances on the prevalence of it in our communities is an essential work as a control strategy. There is a need for more additionalserological and molecular studies for exact determination of the presence of these parasites.