Diagnostic of Canine Leptospirosis by Dot – ELISA and MAT tests in dogs with renal disease in Bogota

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that is caused by species of genus Leptospira (Order Spirochaetales, Family Leptospiraceae). This is very important on a global level, due to its widespread distribution and diversity of serogroups and serovars that affect an extensive group of animal species. Canines are one of the most affected species, where this bacterium generates an acute renal or hepatic infection. Chronic kidney disease is a common consequence of the infection and miscarriage can also happen in pregnant females. During the past few years, Leptospirosis has been catalogued as one of the most common differential diagnostics for dogs with acute renal and hepatic disease symptoms. Thirty (30) dogs with renal disease were evaluated during this project, undergoing serological testing for Leptospirosis: the Microscopy Agglutination Test (MAT) for six Leptospira interrogans serovars and a diagnostic urine test through Dot–ELISA for serovars canicola, icterohaemorrhagiae, pomona and grippotyphosa. The results of both tests came out positive for Leptospira as the cause of the renal disease in ten (10) dogs (33.3%), which showed titles on MAT mainly in serovars icterohaemorrhagiae, canicola and grippotyphosa. Dot–ELISA was positive in 9 of the 10 dogs, with a homogeneous distribution in the 4 serovars. The remaining 20 dogs (66.7%) came out negative. The association between the Dot–ELISA test and the MAT test was highly significant (P < 0.01).