Evidence of increased risk for leishmania infantum infection among HIV-seronegative intravenous drug users from southern Spain.
To assess the prevalence of markers of Leishmania infection, 93 intravenous drug users and 77 nonusers of intravenous drugs underwent a Leishmania skin test and a serum Leishmania antibody search. All participants were human immunodeficiency virus seronegative. The Leishmania skin test was positive in 24 intravenous drug users and in 10 non-users of intravenous drugs (P=0.038). Leishmania seropositivity was detected in 3 of 11 active intravenous drug users and in 3 of 82 former drug injectors (P=0.02). Positivity in the Leishmania skin test was associated with intravenous drug use (adjusted odds ratio, 2.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-5.24). The prevalence of Leishmania infection markers among intravenous drug users is higher than that among controls. This suggests that this parasite spreads through the sharing of needles.
Pineda
J A
JA
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Virgen de Valme, Seville, Spain. japineda@nacom.es
Macías
J
J
Morillas
F
F
Fernandez-Ochoa
J
J
Cara
J
J
de La Rosa
R
R
Mira
J A
JA
Martín-Sánchez
J
J
González
M
M
Delgado
J
J
Acedo
C
C
Lissen
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006801:Humans; D018314:Leishmania infantum; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous