Chagas disease is an anthropozoonosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and dogs are considered to be one of the main reservoirs of the disease in the South America. This study evaluates the occurrence of the infection caused by T. cruzi in dogs from a rural area of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Indirect immunofluorescence test (IFI) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used in 75 dogs living in this area. The antibodies were detected in 45.3% (n=34) and 24.0% (n=18) with IFI and ELISA, respectively. The actual prevalence of the infection was confirmed as 22.7% (n=17) by the criterion of positivity in both tests. The results confirm T. cruzi infection in dogs in the region.
Diseases of dogs; Trypanosoma cruzi; seroprevalence; Mato Grosso do Sul
