title: Epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in a reemerging focus of intense transmission in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.
abstract: This study was developed in the urban area of Governador Valadares, a reemerging focus of intense transmission of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil, presenting 86 human cases of VL from 2008 to 2011. The disease prevailed in males (73.2%) with most patients between 0 and 9 years (44.1%) and a lethality rate of 16.2%. A canine survey was carried out on 16,529 domestic dogs in 35 districts in the area and it showed that 30.2% of them (4,992 dogs) were positive for VL by serum assays. Prevalence ratios for canine VL varied between 13.6% and 53.4%. The clinical exam of 343 seropositive dogs showed that 49.9% of them were considered symptomatic, with larger prevalence of canine VL being in short-furred animals (90%). The entomological survey was performed in eight districts, where 2,539 phlebotomines were captured, preferentially in the peridomicile (84.5%). Lutzomyia longipalpis was the predominant species (90%) suggesting its participation in the VL transmission in the area. The correlation between canine prevalence and L. longipalpis density was evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal dos Vales dos Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil. ricbarata@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ricardo Andrade
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Barata
authors.forename: Jennifer Cunha
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Peixoto
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanure
authors.forename: Marcela Esteves
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Estefânia Conceição
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Apolinário
authors.forename: Emerson Cotta
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Bodevan
authors.forename: Holbiano Saraiva
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.forename: Edelberto Santos
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Aimara da Costa
authors.initials: Ada C
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult