Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by the protozoan Leishmania, can affect humans and animals depending on the species of the parasite, transmitted by sandflies are female insects of the genus Lutzomyia, that in exercising hematophagism inoculated infective promastigote forms, but recently has been raised hypotheses about the transmission by ticks. According to the epidemiological surveillance of Imperatriz-MA is a city endemic for both Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (LT) and for Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). This study aimed to investigate the presence of Leishmania spp in ticks collected from dogs presented to petshop and Zoonoses Control Centre of the Municipality of Imperatriz using the PCR technique. DNA was extracted from 640 female ticks and tested using the primer which amplifies the mini-exon gene of Leishmania sp. Ticks were collected from 41 dogs of different neighborhoods of Imperatriz. Most ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The following clinical signs of leishmaniasis in dogs were observed: onychogryphosis in 53.65% (22/41); ulcers 63.41% (26/41), hair loss and loss of appetite in 39.02% (16 / 41). One hundred and seventy ticks (26.56%) of 16 dogs had collected DNA from Leishmania subgenus Viannia, responsible for the cutaneous form of the disease. DNA was not detected none of Leishmania infantum chagasi. Infected ticks were collected from both symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs. Although it has not been shown that ticks can transmit Leishmania to dogs under natural conditions, the outcome of this study has several important because it is a non-invasive method of detection, able to differentiate groups of parasites in circulation, particularly if animals do not have lesions, may be a biological indicator in places where there is an investigation done serological and entomological not and can support the programs of the local health surveillance.
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