A new species of Leishmania parasite from the Venezuelan Andes region.
A new form of Leishmania is described from the Venezuelan Andes region. L. garnhami n.sp. is proposed for this parasite with amastigote stages showing a peculiar and unique organelle seen with light and electron microscope. It produces cutaneous lesions in people living at a height of between 800 and 1,8000 m. in urban and rural areas; the disease is associated with Lutzomyia townsendi, the main anthropophilic sandfly in the region. The parasite is easily inoculable into hamsters and grows slowly in vitro in blood-agar media with glucose, but more prolifically without glucose.
D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D006224:Cricetinae; D004463:Ecology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D007891:Leishmania / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology; D014687:Venezuela