Evidence of Leptospira spp. in blood of dogs in a rural community in Yucatan, Mexico

Evidencia de Leptospira spp. en sangre de perros de una comunidad rural de Yucatán, México.

Objective. To describe the frequency of infection with Leptospira spp. in dogs of a rural community in the state of Yucatán, Mexico. Materials and methods. Blood samples were collected in 120 dogs from Maxcanú, Yucatán. Besides, characteristics such as sex, age, and breed were registered, and owners were asked about the vaccine history. The samples were transported to the laboratory and through the polymerase chain reaction diagnostic test, were reported the amplification of two fragments of the 16S ribosomal gene belonging to Leptospira spp. Results. The infection frequency found was 1.7% (2/120; 95%CI= 0.2 - 5.9%). Both positive dogs were males, puppies, mongrels (mix of breeds), and no vaccination history. Conclusions. A low frequency of infection is described in the dogs of the study site. More epidemiological research is needed to know the Leptospira species involved in the infection and identify the risk of transmission to the inhabitants or other domestic animals of the study site.

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