Article
Skin reactions to thimerosal and Leishmania in dogs from a leishmaniasis endemic area: it is better to keep them apart
Registro en:
PARANHOS-SILVA, M. et al. Skin reactions to thimerosal and Leishmania in dogs from a leishmaniasis endemic area: it is better to keep them apart. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, v. 96, n. 5, p. 679-81, July 2001.
0074-0276
Autor
Silva, Moacir Paranhos
Pontes-de-Carvalho, Lain Carlos
Oliveira, Geraldo Gileno de Sá
Nascimento, Eliane Góes
dosSantos, Washington Luis Conrado
Resumen
Positive Montenegro's skin test is a delayed type hypersensitivity reaction widely used as indicative of previous infection with Leishmania in both humans and dogs. Montenegro's antigen consists of a crude Leishmania antigen solution, usually containing thimerosal as preserving agent. In this work it is shown that a large proportion of dogs (11 out of 56) examined in an endemic area of leishmaniasis presented induration at the site of injection of a diluent containing thimerosal alone. This clearly demonstrates that thimerosal leads to a high number of false positive skin reactions in dogs and that its use in Montenegro's skin test antigenic preparations should be avoided