[Leishmania (leishmania) mexicana in the village of San Matias, municipality of Gomez Plata, North West of Antioquia, Colombia].
BACKGROUND
Leishmaniasis is found in natural foci of infection where both sand fly vectors and mammalian reservoirs of Leishmania are present.


OBJECTIVE
To report for the first time the presence of Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana Biagi, 1953, in the village of San Matías, municipality of Gomez Plata, Department of Antioquia.


METHODS
The parasite was isolated from a patient with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis and was identified by the immunofluorescence technique using specific monoclonal antibodies against L. mexicana species and isoenzyme electrophoresis.


CONCLUSIONS
The isoenzymatic profiles of the reference strains L. (L.) mexicana (MNCY/BZ/62/M379) and L. (L.) mexicana (MHOM/BE/82/BEL21) were similar to that of the isolate recovered from the patient, allowing us to classify it as L. (L.) mexicana.
Sierra
Diana
D
Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. dsierra68@yahoo.com
Ochoa
Marcela
M
Calle
José Ignacio
JI
García
Gisela
G
Colorado
Diana
D
Vélez
Iván Darío
ID
D000818:Animals; D003105:Colombia; D006801:Humans; D007894:Leishmania mexicana; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000469:parasitology*