title: [The laboratory diagnosis and epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Paraná State, southern Brazil].
abstract: Between 1986 and 1997 a total of 1418 patients were examined at the Clinical Analysis Teaching and Research Laboratory of Maringá State University (LEPAC/UEM) for cutaneous leishmaniasis by direct examination of stained smears made from the lesions, the Montenegro skin test and the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. Nine hundred and fifty five patients (67.3%) were positive for at least one of the three tests and of these 804 (84.2%) were considered to have contracted the disease in Paraná State; 665 (69.6%) were between 15 and 49 years old; 658 (68.9%) were males; 523 (54.8%) sought medical advice during the first three months of their infections and 74 (7.7%) had mucosal lesions. Of the 83 counties of Paraná State, where the patients had most probably acquired their infections, 44.7% were from the counties of São Jorge do Ivaí (10.2%), Doutor Camargo (9.8%), Terra Boa (7.3%), Maringá (7.3%), Jussara (6.0%) and Cianorte (4.5%). Seventy seven strains of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis were isolated and 63.6% of these strains belong to serodema 1.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, PR, Brasil. tgvsilve@dac.uem.br
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Arraes
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bertolini
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Teodoro
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Lonardoni
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Roberto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nerilo Sobrinho
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan