During the year of 1995 we examined 425 serum samples from dogs in the area of influence of the Center for Zoonosis Control, performing the microscopic agglutination test for diagnosis of leptospirosis. Of these, 148 (34.8%) gave positive reactions with titers equal or higher than 1:100, for the following serovars: L. canicola (58.1%), L. icterohaemorrhagiae (20.9%), L. copenhageni (11.4%), L. grippotiphosa and L. castellonis (2.7%) L. andamana and L. autumnalis and L. pyrogenes with (1.4%). The prevalence of infection was higher in March, August, September, October and November, which coincided, with the higher temperatures and pluvial precipitation observed the month before the outbreaks. This observation stress the importance of these two factors for the survival of leptospira in the environment.
leptospirosis; dogs
