Descriptive study of American tegumentary leishmaniasis in the urban area of the Municipality of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Thiago Mourão de Miranda; Luiz Cosme Cotta Malaquias; Patrícia Maria Fonseca Escalda; Katiuscia Cardoso Ramalho; Wendel Coura-Vital; Alexandre Rotondo da Silva; Rodrigo Corrêa-Oliveira; Alexandre Barbosa Reis

doi:10.5123/S2176-62232011000100003

Authors

Thiago Mourão de Miranda Laboratório de Imunologia, Universidade Vale do Rio Doce, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Luiz Cosme Cotta Malaquias Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Patrícia Maria Fonseca Escalda Laboratório de Imunologia, Universidade Vale do Rio Doce, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Katiuscia Cardoso Ramalho Departamento de Atenção à Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Wendel Coura-Vital Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Alexandre Rotondo da Silva Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Rodrigo Corrêa-Oliveira Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Alexandre Barbosa Reis Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5123/S2176-62232011000100003

Keywords:

Leishmaniasis, Cross-Sectional Studies, Disease Notification, Urban Health, American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis

Abstract

ABSTRACT

To understand the emergence and re-emergence pattern of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL), the clinical and epidemiological profiles and the spatial distribution of the disease were evaluated between 2001 and 2006 in an endemic area located in the Rio Doce valley in the north-eastern part of the Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The number of reported cases increased from six in the first year to 111 in the last year during this period. Disease cases predominated in the urban area (75.9%) and affected males and females equally in all age groups. The transmission of ATL occurred within dwellings and the surrounding areas, with the largest number of reported cases originating from poor areas, particularly those located on the margins of the Rio Doce lacking suitable sanitary infrastructure. Diagnosis was based on clinical criteria and the Montenegro skin test, with most patients (93.8%) exhibiting the cutaneous form of ATL. First-line treatment involved administration of pentavalent antimonial drugs (99.1%), and these provided a cure for > 75% of patients. The prevalence of ATL varied between 11.38 and 15.99 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which is high in comparison with the national average. Urgent measures, including improved means of diagnosis at the local health units, education of schoolchildren and motivation of the general population, are required to decrease transmission and control the disease.