Visceral leishmaniasis is an important zoonosis caused by protozoa of the
species Leishmania infantum, presenting as main reservoir the domestic dog. Phlebotomines of
the species Lutzomyia longipalpis, are the vectors most commonly found in Brazil that
transmits L. infantum . For a long time the disease presented a rural character, however has
been observed an increasing urbanization, becoming a relevant public health problem
nowadays. Characteristics such as proximity to the main reservoir of the disease with humans
and the increasing adaptation of sand flies to the urban environment, attribute to this zoonosis
a complex epidemiological profile. Studies developed in areas with active transmission of the
disease, aimed at identifying factors associated with the installation and maintenance of the
transmission cycle may contribute as a relevant information to the actions of control of visceral
leishmaniasis. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of infection by
L. infantum in dogs from Araguaína city, northern region of Tocantins State, and to identify
factors possibly associated with the occurrence of infection through the analysis of individual,
environmental and clinical aspects of animals. For the study, 199 dogs of different ages, males
and females, were randomly sampled from 14 districts of the city. Direct and serological
parasitological tests were performed by means of the direct agglutination test (TAD) for the
detection of dogs positive for illness. From the results analysis, a frequency of 41.2% (82/199)
dogs was positive, considering the direct examination result and TAD 1: 160. Variables such
as sex, age, animal race, peri- stay and street access were not associated with positivity for the
disease (p> 0.05). Environmental factors such as presence of debris and banana in
the peridomicile presented with risk factors for Leishmania infection (OR = 2,638 and 2,822,
respectively), while the presence of ornamental plants at home was indicated as a protective
factor for leishmaniasis visceral canine (OR = 0.482). The results indicate that the transmission
cycle of visceral leishmaniasis remains active in the municipality of Araguaína, with a high
frequency of canine cases, which may result in an increase in the number of human cases of the
disease in the city.
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