En 1997 se realiz-un estudio descriptivo con Žnfasis cualitativo con objeto de documentar los conocimientos y las pr ‡cticas relacionados con la leishmaniasis cut ‡nea, segoen el sexo, en los habitantes de 14 a-os en adelante de siete comunidades del departamento del RESUMENLa leishmaniasis es una zoonosis de amplia distribuci-n mundial que representa un problema de salud poeblica en muchos pa'ses del Tercer Mundo. En Colombia, la enfermedad es endŽmica y se encuentra en 91% de todo el territorio ubicado bajo los 1 750 m sobre el nivel del mar. Durante 1995, se registraron casos de la enfermedad en 45% de los municipios del pa's. La leishmaniasis es una dolencia cr-nica, lo que hace dif'cil distinguir

Background: Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is observed in individuals that have pre-existing heterotypic dengue antibodies and is associated with increased viral load and high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines early in infection. Interestingly, a recent study showed that dengue virus infection in the presence of antibodies resulted in poor stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), thereby facilitating virus particle production, and also suggesting that TLRs may contribute to disease pathogenesis.

Leishmania species of the subgenus Viannia account for 88% of all cases of leishmaniasis recorded in Colombia. Correct diagnosis is essential as infection with members of this subgenus can produce disfiguring destruction of the mucosa. Several methods are available to diagnose leishmaniasis in clinical samples. More recently, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used, with varying sensitivities and specificities depending on the primers used. In this paper we report on the sensitivity and specificity of PCR primers B1/B2 used on clinical samples and compare their use to the conventional parasitological methods. PCR alone is more sensitive than any single conventional method used, but a combination of conventional methods produced comparable sensitivity. PCR is well suited for use in selected cases and as a test for mucosal leishmaniasis.

A mong the numerous causes of acute undifferentiated nonmalarial febrile illness, rickettsiae are amenable to treatment that can prevent death or, in the case of non-life-threatening diseases, shorten and ameliorate the course of illness (1). Awareness and knowledge of these infectious diseases are crucial and necessary. In Colombia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever was recognized in the 1930s and then rediscovered in the 21st century (2). Clusters of cases were documented in the departments of Cundinamarca, Córdoba, and Antioquia (2-4). Five fatal cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever occurred in the village of Las Changas in the district of Necoclí in 2006, and 4 fatal cases occurred in a village in the district of Turbo in 2008 (4). Prevalence of antibodies to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae of 25.6% among healthy residents of several areas in Colombia suggests contact of persons with less-virulent SFG rickettsiae, such as Rickettsia parkeri, which has previously been reported in Colombia in ticks of the species Amblyomma ovale, and R. amblyommatis, previously reported in A. cajennense ticks (5-7).