Miltefosine activity in vitro against isolates of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum from dogs of the municipality of Embu-Guaçu

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan L. (L.) infantum. The treatment of leishmaniasis in Brazil consists of the use of pentavalent antimonials and amphotericin B. Recently, miltefosine (MF) has been shown to be highly effective against VL in Asia. Although, this drug is not used in the treatment of VL in Brazil, MF is approved for use in the treatment of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). In this study, we evaluate the susceptibility to MF in vitro of isolates of L. (L.) infantum from dogs of municipality of Embu-Guaçu, São Paulo.