title: Epidemiological aspects of vector, parasite, and domestic reservoir in areas of recent transmission and no reported human cases of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.
abstract: About 97% of the human cases of the American visceral leishmaniasis (VL) occur in Brazil. In the last few years, the disease expanded to medium- and large-sized cities, in which surveillance and control actions have been intensified, in an effort to control VL spreading. Our two-year study was conducted in Belo Horizonte, the sixth most populous city in Brazil, which is endemic for VL. We focused in two particular districts of recent transmission of the disease, with no reported human cases and submitted to minor surveillance and control actions. Our aim was to draw an epidemiological profile of the local situation concerning Lutzomyia vector, Leishmania parasites, and the main domestic reservoirs (dogs). Lutzomyia longipalpis comprised 96.5% of the total phlebotomine sand flies captured and displayed an expressive minimal infection rate by Leishmania infantum (16.7%). Positive correlations were found between the population densities of L. longipalpis, rainfall and temperature. L. infantum was also detected in the cortelezzii complex and, for the first time, in Lutzomyia lloydi. Leishmania braziliensis, an etiological agent of the American cutaneous leishmaniasis, was also identified in L. longipalpis. Among the 1408 dogs serologically tested by standard enzyme-linked and fluorescence immune assays (ELISA/IFA) 3.6% were positive for VL. L. infantum DNA and Leishmania parasites were identified in 100% and 72.5% of the seropositive dogs, respectively. The co-positivity of other diagnostic tests for VL-Leishmania-nested PCR, imprint and myeloculture-was compared to the standard serology. Both symptomatic or asymptomatic dogs displayed an equal average number of positive diagnostic tests for VL. The districts studied display favorable conditions for the rapid spreading of human infection, in terms of L. longipalpis population density, and presence of L. infantum in both vector and main reservoir.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiana de Oliveira
authors.initials: Fde O
authors.lastname: Lara-Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Érika Monteiro
authors.initials: ÉM
authors.lastname: Michalsky
authors.affiliation: Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Consuelo Latorre
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Fortes-Dias
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Belo Horizonte, SMSA/PBH, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa de Oliveira Pires
authors.initials: Vde O
authors.lastname: Fiuza
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Belo Horizonte, SMSA/PBH, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Eduardo Marques
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Pessanha
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Shara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Regina-Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Moreira
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: de Avelar
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maiara Alves
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina Vianna Mariano da Rocha
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ailton Junior Antunes
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: George Luiz Lins
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Machado-Coelho
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: edel@cpqrr.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Edelberto Santos
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000469:parasitology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002947:Cities; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Canine visceral leishmaniasis; Leishmania braziliensis; Leishmania infantum; Lutzomyia lloydi; Lutzomyia longipalpis; cortelezzii complex