title: First human cases of Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi infection in Ecuador and identification of its suspected vector species.
abstract: Epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis was conducted in a northern Amazonian region of Ecuador, in which cutaneous leishmaniasis cases were recently reported. Sand flies were captured in the military training camp, and the natural infection of sand flies by Leishmania species was examined. Out of 334 female sand flies dissected, the natural infection by flagellates was microscopically detected in 3.9% of Lutzomyia yuilli yuilli and 3.7% of Lutzomyia tortura, and the parasite species were identified as Endotrypanum and Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi, respectively. After the sand fly surveillance, specimens from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients considered to have acquired the infection in the training camp area were obtained, and the infected parasite species were identified as L. (V.) naiffi. The present study reported first cases of CL caused by L. (V.) naiffi infection in Ecuador. In addition, a high ratio of infection of Lu. tortura by L. (V.) naiffi in the same area strongly suggested that Lu. tortura is responsible for the transmission of L. (V.) naiffi in this area.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Japan. Electronic address: hkato@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hirotomo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calvopiña
authors.forename: Hipatia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Criollo
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashiguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004484:Ecuador; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D007891:Leishmania / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D008889:Military Personnel; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Ecuador; First human case; Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi; Lutzomyia tortura; Natural infection