title: First encounter of subclinical human Leishmania (Viannia) infection in State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
abstract: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the specificity of the Montenegro skin test (MST) in an area in Brazil, state of Grande do Sul State (RS), which was considered to be non-endemic for leishmaniasis. Sixty subjects presented a positive MST and were reevaluated by clinical examination, serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of peripheral blood for the detection of subclinical Leishmania infection. None of the subjects presented clinical signs or symptoms of current leishmaniasis or a history of the disease. Leishmania (Viannia) DNA was detected in blood by PCR and hybridization in one subject. The PCR skin test-positive individual remained asymptomatic throughout the study. Clinical examination showed no scars suggestive of past cutaneous leishmaniasis. Human subclinical infection with Leishmania (Viannia) in RS was confirmed by PCR. This is the first report of subclinical infection with this parasite in the human population of this area.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Diagnosis of Tegumentary Leishmaniasis, Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Micro-Immuno-Parasitology, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. aline.fagundes@ipec.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fagundes
authors.forename: Mauro C A
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marzochi
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Mauricio A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Armando O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Schubach
authors.forename: Tânia M P
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Schubach
authors.forename: Maria R R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Amendoeira
authors.forename: Eliame
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mouta-Confort
authors.forename: Keyla B F
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Marzochi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan