Epidemiologic characterization of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic region of eastern Venezuela.

Abstract

Abstract. The status of American cutaneous leishmaniasis was investigated from 1985 to 1991 to provide an epidemiologic characterization of the disease in Bergantin, a rural community in the northeastern part of Anzoátegui State, Venezuela. The study revealed the presence of the infection during the period analyzed, with an average incidence of 50.2 cases per 10,000 inhabitants and this number has increased 1.5 times during the last two years. Three villages where clinical cases had been recorded were selected for a comparison of their prevalence data. These villages comprise the human population in the high and low altitude limits of Bergantin. Immunologic assessment of the inhabitants used two different antigen preparations to examine responses to parasites associated with the cutaneous and visceral forms of the disease. The leishmanin skin test (LST) was used in a sample of 276 individuals (46.3% of the inhabitants) and resulted in an overall positivity of 16.7%. The percentage of LST positivity varied with age and sex, yet analysis of this response and the prevalence for each village reflected the specific characteristics of these localities. La Montaña, situated at 800 meters above sea level, had the highest prevalence (800 cases per 10,000 inhabitants) and the most positive LST response (21.2%) in comparison with the two other villages situated at a lower altitude (300 meters above sea level).Venezuela is one of the South American countries where American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is increasing. However, the epidemiologic characteristics of the disease are mostly unknown. Estimates of the number of cases are frequently unreliable due to local difficulties in diagnosis and the frequency of subclinical infections. 1 In general, a better understanding of the epidemiology of ACL is important so that effective control measures may be applied.The geographic distribution of ACL in Venezuela covers 21 of its 23 territorial divisions. It has been shown that these ACL-affected regions present foci with different degrees of endemicity, but only the infections detected in the western and central regions have been systematically described. [1][2][3][4][5] Presently, little is known about the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in the eastern region of the country.The general purpose of the study was to determine the distribution, prevalence, and risk factors for the disease within the endemic areas of the Turimiquire Mountains in the northeastern states of Venezuela. MATERIALS AND METHODSStudy area. This study was carried out in the territory of Bergantin located in the southwestern area of the Turimiquire Mountains between latitudes 10Њ03Ј30Љ'' and 10Њ00Ј17ЉN and longitudes 64Њ20Ј18Љ and 64Њ23Ј20ЉW in the Anzoátegui State of Venezuela. Bergantin comprises 36 villages within a total area of 630 km 2 . Of these, approximately 61 km 2 , including the villages of La Montaña (800 meters above sea level), La Panela (300 meters above sea level), and El Poblado (300 meters above sea level) (Figure 1), were studied. These villag...

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iraq

“…Additionally, in a hospital-based study performed in Samara [12], the incidence rate was 5.5 cases / 10,000 for the year 1994. However, the incidence rate was similar to that reported for Afghanistan [13] (46 per 10,000) and Eastern Venezuela [14] (50.1 per 10,000) but higher than that reported for Turkey (4.6 per 10,000) [15].…”

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of cutaneous leishmaniasis and their relationship with the laboratory data, south of Brazil

“…18 Higher frequency of ACL cases among males between the ages of 15 and 49 has also been reported in other states. [21][22][23] The current study showed that most patients had the cutaneous form of the disease, lived in urban environments and acquired ACL during work or leisure activities. It has been observed that in Latin America and in Brazil a significant decrease in forest areas has led to an ACL increase in urban regions which, consequently, requires new methods of disease control.…”

Montenegro's skin reactions and antibodies against different Leishmania species in dogs from a visceral leishmaniosis endemic area

“…The authors however, attributed the antigen-associated discrepancies observed in the results to possible technical problems arising during antigen injection. Jorquera and collaborators (Jorquera et al, 1998), examining human beings from an endemic area for visceral and tegumentary leishmaniosis, also found individuals that selectively responded to preparations containing L. chagasi (8.7%) or to preparations containing a mixture of L. amazonensis, Leishmania venezuelensis and L. braziliensis (23.9%), or to preparations containing both antigens (67.4%). Such variety of responses found in human beings is similar to that observed in this study with dogs.…”