EVIDENCE OF LEISHMANIA INFANTUM CIRCULATION IN FELINE POPULATIONS FROM THE MIDWESTERN REGION, BRAZIL

Ennya Rafaella Neves Cardoso; Nicolas Jalowitzki de Lima; Raphaela Bueno Mendes Bittencourt; Mariana Avelar Tavares; Gabriel Cândido dos Santos; Bruna Rodrigues Soares; Rodrigo Araújo Camêlo; Mariaelisa Carbonara; Domenico Otranto; Felipe da Silva Krawczak

Todos os Trabalhos

Trabalho

Título do Trabalho

EVIDENCE OF LEISHMANIA INFANTUM CIRCULATION IN FELINE POPULATIONS FROM THE MIDWESTERN REGION, BRAZIL

Autores

Ennya Rafaella Neves Cardoso
Nicolas Jalowitzki de Lima
Raphaela Bueno Mendes Bittencourt
Mariana Avelar Tavares
Gabriel Cândido dos Santos
Bruna Rodrigues Soares
Rodrigo Araújo Camêlo
Mariaelisa Carbonara
Domenico Otranto
Felipe da Silva Krawczak

Modalidade

Resumo

Área temática

Protozoologia e patógenos transmitidos por vetores

Data de Publicação

24/09/2026

País da Publicação

Brasil

Idioma da Publicação

pt-BR

Página do Trabalho

https://www.even3.com.br/anais/23-congresso-brasileiro-de-parasitologia-veterinaria-673729/1537573-evidence-of-leishmania-infantum-circulation-in-feline-populations-from-the-midwestern-region-brazil

ISBN

978-65-272-2733-5

Palavras-Chave

conjunctival swab, blood, IFAT, leishmaniasis, qPCR

Resumo

Feline leishmaniasis has been investigated using both molecular and serological approaches, with reported average prevalence rates 8% in Brazil. In the state of Goiás, however, no previous studies have sampled felines from endemic areas to test for leishmaniasis. Nevertheless, in other Brazilian states, clinical follow-up of infected cats and epidemiological investigations have already documented the circulation of the parasite in feline populations. Therefore, the present study aimed to detect the circulation of Leishmania infantum among cats in the state of Goiás. A total of 134 felines were sampled from five municipalities in the state: four endemic areas (Cavalcante, Teresina de Goiás, Pirenópolis, and Porangatu) and the capital, Goiânia, where no autochthonous canine cases have been reported to date. Conjunctival swabs and blood samples were obtained. Blood samples were divided into two tubes: one containing EDTA and another containing a serum separator gel. The samples were tested by real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting the kDNA gene and by the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). DNA from conjunctival swabs was extracted using an adapted phenol–chloroform protocol, whereas DNA from blood samples was extracted using a commercial Blood DNA Kit (Biogene®, Shirley, New York, United States). Among the 134 cats evaluated, three animals (2.2%) had Leishmania DNA detected by qPCR in conjunctival swabs from Goiânia two and Teresina de Goiás one, and one animal (0.7%) was positive for L. infantum DNA in a blood sample from Teresina de Goiás. By IFAT, six animals were seroreactive (4.5%). The highest antibody titer detected was 160 in one animal from Porangatu, while the remaining animals showed titers at the cut-off value of 80. The seroreactive animals were distributed as follows: two from Cavalcante, one from Teresina de Goiás, one from Pirenópolis, and two from Porangatu. These findings demonstrate the circulation of Leishmania among felines in Goiás, particularly in municipalities where the disease is already established among dogs and humans, as observed in endemic areas of the state. This evidence suggests that, in locations where transmission is already occurring, cats may act as potential hosts and could contribute to the emergence of new infections in susceptible animals or humans. Considering these findings, the role of cats in the epidemiology of leishmaniasis deserves further investigation. Future epidemiological studies should be conducted, and control measures should also consider this species to prevent new cases of this zoonosis.

Título do Evento: 23º Congresso Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinária
Cidade do Evento: Belo Horizonte
Título dos Anais do Evento: Anais do XXIII Congresso Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinária
Nome da Editora: Even3
Meio de Divulgação: Meio Digital

Como citar

CARDOSO, Ennya Rafaella Neves et al.. EVIDENCE OF LEISHMANIA INFANTUM CIRCULATION IN FELINE POPULATIONS FROM THE MIDWESTERN REGION, BRAZIL.. In: Anais do XXIII Congresso Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinária. Anais...Belo Horizonte(MG) Centro de Atividades Didáticas I (CAD 1) da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 2026. Disponível em: https//www.even3.com.br/anais/23-congresso-brasileiro-de-parasitologia-veterinaria-673729/1537573-EVIDENCE-OF-LEISHMANIA-INFANTUM-CIRCULATION-IN-FELINE-POPULATIONS-FROM-THE-MIDWESTERN-REGION-BRAZIL. Acesso em: 13/10/2026