METHOD FOR DETECTING ANTIBODIES AGAINST LEISHMANIA IN A CANINE BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE, KIT FOR DETECTION OF LEISHMANIA INFECTION IN A BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE, AND USE OF LEISHMANIA LIPOPHOSPHOGLUCAN

摘要

Visceral leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected diseases in the world and affects humans and other mammals. Dogs constitute the main domestic link of visceral leishmaniasis, being considered the main source of infection for vectors. There is a need to correctly diagnose sick animals with and without clinical manifestation (asymptomatic). Methods and kits are provided to detect canine visceral leishmaniasis with high sensitivity and specificity, even in apparently healthy animals without clinical manifestations, using isolated L. infantum lipophosphoglycans. The developed method has a sensitivity of 91.7%, a specificity of 98.5%, an accuracy of 99.7%, with the ability to properly discriminate sera from infected dogs sick from those parasitized and clinically healthy, and with a low cross-reactivity index when they were Samples of dogs infected with other infectious agents were tested.