Naturally acquired infections with Leishmania enriettii Muniz and Medina 1948 in guinea-pigs from São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Two domestic guinea-pigs (Cavia porcellus), bought in Pinheros, São Paulo State, Brazil, were taken by their owners to a farm in the rural district of Capão Bonito, close to the Atlantic Forest, São Paulo, where they both developed tumour-like and ulcerating lesions on the ears. The causative agent was identified as Leishmania (L.) enriettii, based on biological characters and isoenzyme profiles. Sources of the parasite in wild mammals, and the possible sandfly vector species are discussed.

On Leishmania enriettii and Other Enigmatic Leishmania Species of the Neotropics

“…Some time later, both animals developed ulcerating nodules on their ears and were taken to the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, SP, for examination. The presence of large numbers of big amastigotes, in Giemsa-stained smears made from the lesions, left little doubt as to the nature of the causative parasite, and subsequent study of its isoenzyme profiles and further passage into laboratory guinea-pigs, soon confirmed that the mysterious L. (L.) enriettii had once again appeared out of the blue (Machado et al 1994). With an area of active transmission of the parasite pinpointed with such precision, it is a great pity that field studies were not started at once, and now, some six years later, there may well have been landscape changes in the immediate locality.…”

“…Final confirmation, however, should be sought by the conventional use of enzyme profiles (Machado et al 1994), monoclonal antibodies or DNA techniques.…”

Wild and synanthropic reservoirs of Leishmania species in the Americas

“…deanei and L. enriettii , species taxonomically more similar to Endotrypanum than to Leishmania have been described, respectively, in porcupines Coendu spp. (Herrer, 1971; Silva et al., 2013) and in the guinea pig Cavia porcellus (Machado et al., 1994). …”

Ecology of Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera, Psychodidae) in Brazilian Atlantic Forest

“…L. braziliensis Vianna, 1911 (L. for Leishmania, to distinguish from Lu. for Lutzomyia) was isolated from sentinel animals in the Ribeira River Valley, São Paulo 18 21 , and L. enrietti was isolated from rodents in this region 32 and near Curitiba, Paraná 44 . Sand fly vectorial ecology was reviewed 17 in the State of São Paulo, including the important endemic region in the Ribeira River Valley.…”