title: An analysis of reported cases of leishmaniasis in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon region, 1986-2012.
abstract: An analysis of reported cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) was performed using the data registered in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon region during 27 years from 1986 to 2012. The cases/subjects with both the suspected CL lesions and the amastigote-positive results were recruited for the analysis. The yearly occurrence of cases showed a markedly higher number during the six years, 1988 and 1993. After 1994 when the insecticide spraying campaign using helicopter in 1993-1994, the number dropped remarkably. Then, the yearly occurrence gradually fluctuated from 101 cases in 1996 to 11 in 2009, maintaining a low number of cases after the campaign. The monthly occurrence of cases showed a markedly high number during March and August, suggesting a correlation to the rainy season (months) in the areas. A statistical significance was found between the monthly average number of the CL case and the average precipitation (p=0.01474). It was suggested that the time of transmission of CL would depend on the rainy seasons at each endemic area of Ecuador, which has a diverse climatic feature depending on the geographic regions. Such information at given leishmaniasis-endemic areas of Ecuador would be important for the future planning of the disease control. Molecular analysis and characterization of clinical samples revealed the presence of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis.
authors: Hospital Zumba, Zumba, Cantón Chinchipe, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador.
authors: Hector R
authors: HR
authors: Olalla
authors: Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador; Servicio Nacional de Erradicación de la Malaria (SNEM), Guayaquil, Ecuador.
authors: Lenin N
authors: LN
authors: Velez
authors: Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Hirotomo
authors: H
authors: Kato
authors: Centro de Biomedicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
authors: Kazue
authors: K
authors: Hashiguchi
authors: Departamento Académico de Microbiología Médica, Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Lima, Peru.
authors: Abraham G
authors: AG
authors: Caceres
authors: Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador; Servicio Nacional de Erradicación de la Malaria (SNEM), Guayaquil, Ecuador.
authors: Eduardo A
authors: EA
authors: Gomez
authors: Servicio Nacional de Erradicación de la Malaria (SNEM), Guayaquil, Ecuador.
authors: Flavio C
authors: FC
authors: Zambrano
authors: Centro de Biomedicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
authors: Daniel A
authors: DA
authors: Romero-Álvarez
authors: Centro de Biomedicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
authors: Angel G
authors: AG
authors: Guevara
authors: Centro de Biomedicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; Proyecto-Prometeo, Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENESCYT), Quito, Ecuador; Department of Parasitology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan. Electronic address: yhashiguchi42@yahoo.co.jp.
authors: Yoshihisa
authors: Y
authors: Hashiguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002980:Climate; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons
keywords: Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Reported cases; Retrospective analysis; Southern Ecuadorian Amazon region