Preventing Zoonotic Canine Leishmaniasis in Northeastern Brazil: Pet Attachment and Adoption of Community Leishmania Prevention

Abstract

<p>Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by <em>Leishmania infantum chagasi</em> (<em>L.i. chagasi</em>syn. <em>infantum</em>) in northeastern Brazil, was responsible for 51,000 new VL cases from 1980 to 2003. Household presence of <em>L. infantum-</em>infected dogs is a major risk factor for human infection. Despite culling of dogs based on seropositivity, canine <em>L. infantum</em> seroprevalence remains near 20%, suggesting that dog culling is ineffective for preventing VL spread. We administered a cross-sectional survey to 224 households within 300 m of the homes of VL human patients diagnosed within the last year. The goal was to develop a model for voluntary preventative use based on characteristics and motivations of dog owners. We identified that owner knowledge deficiencies regarding canine transmission of <em>L. infantum</em> associated with increased risk of dog infection (odds ratio [OR] = 3.681, confidence interval [CI] = 1.223, 11.08). Higher owner education was associated with decreased levels of dog seropositivity (OR = 0.40, CI = 0.20, 0.81). Pet attachment (<em>P</em> = 0.036) and perception of risk/disease knowledge (<em>P</em> = 0.040) were significantly associated with willingness to voluntarily purchase canine VL prevention. These results highlight the importance of owner attachment to their pet in implementing reservoir-targeted zoonotic VL prevention.</p>