Epidemiology of canine leishmaniosis in Catalonia (Spain): The example of the Priorat focus

An epidemiological survey of canine leishmaniosis was conducted in the Priorat, a rural region in the Northeast of Spain, for 10 years (1985–1994). Seroprevalence throughout the region, determined by dot-ELISA and IFI, was 10.2% (8–12%). Forty percent of the dogs studied had a low level of anti- Leishmania antibodies, whereas only 50% were seronegative. Only one-third of the seropositive dogs had evident symptoms of the disease. Annual incidence of the disease was 5.7% and the level of endemicity was stable during the study. Four Leishmania zymodemes (MON-1, MON-29, MON-77, MON-105) were present in the focus, and their distribution in the different hosts is discussed. Apart from dogs and foxes, no other reservoir host has been found in the region.