Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an emerging disease in Suriname, with at least 200 cases per year. Little is known about the biology of CL in the country. The most important parasite species is Leishmania Viannia guyanensis, but possible vectors and reservoirs are hardly incriminated. In the present study, it was investigated whether the dog could possibly be a zoonotic reservoir for the disease in Suriname. Forty-seven dogs were examined for overt clinical signs of leishmaniasis, and blood samples were collected on filter paper for serology (direct agglutination test) and molecular biology (by polymerase chain reaction). Three dogs had clinical signs that could be compatible with canine cutaneous leishmaniosis: dermatitis (two) or nasal lesion (one). Two dogs were seropositive with DAT (titre > 1？:？1600), and three animals had a borderline titre (1？:？800). All other animals ( ) were DAT negative. PCR analysis found Leishmania DNA equivalent to 1 parasite per mL in only one dog at a first round of analysis, but this animal was negative after retesting. The clinical, serological, and molecular data show some preliminary lines of evidence that canine leishmaniosis is present in Suriname, but further studies are needed to incriminate the reservoir, including a possible sylvatic cycle. 1. Introduction Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a skin disease ranging from self-healing lesions to single or large skin ulcers and is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. CL is a zoonotic disease transmitted via the bite of female sand flies belonging to the genera Phlebotomus in the Old World and Lutzomyia in the New World [1]. Humans are most likely only incidental hosts. In countries where zoonotic leishmaniasis occurs—such as those in Latin America and those around the Mediterranean basin—dogs are considered the main domestic reservoirs for human infection [2]. Dogs can also be severely affected by the infection, and canine leishmaniosis (CanL) can present as a systemic disease with as main clinical manifestations lymphadenopathy, dermatitis, alopecia, cutaneous ulcerations, onychogryphosis, lameness, anorexia, weight loss, cachexia, ocular lesions, epistaxis, anaemia, diarrhoea, and renal failure [3]. Furthermore, CanL can also present with symptoms and signs similar to CL in humans. The signs and symptoms of canine CL include skin lesions that begin with the formation of a nodule at the place where the bite occurred. This nodule increases in size and then may ulcerate. Lesions may also look as plaques. The lesions usually occur on the nose, ears, and
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