Immunological inquiry for the epidemiology of leptospirosis in Canis familiaris in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

A total of 430 dogs were immunologically examined in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, and 21.6% of them were positive. The animals were selected through an aleatory pattern, according to the division of the City in 18 residential zones a division which had been established by the vaccination campaign against canis hydrophobia. The serotypes icterohemorrhagiae and canicola were the most frequently registered. Between the sexes, the male presented the highest index of positivity, though the difference wasn't statistically significant. The period of age ranging from 12 to 48 months comprised 67.7% of the investigations. Mestizo dogs presented a higher frequency of positivity than any other race and the areas of Nordeste de Amaralina, Liberdade and Quintas showed the greatest percentages of positive dogs.