Outbreak of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis with high microfocal transmission

KROLEWIECKI, AJ; GIL, JF; QUIPILDOR, M; CAJAL, SP; PRAVIA, C; JUAREZ, M; VILLALPANDO, C; LOCATELLI, FM; CHANAMPA, M; CASTILLO, G; ORESTE, M; HOYOS, C; NEGRI, V; NASSER, JR

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE

AMER SOC TROP MED & HYGIENE

Lugar: Stanford; Año: 2013 vol. 88 p. 578 - 582

0002-9637

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in Salta, the northwestern province of Argentina. We describe an outbreak involving five recreational hunters whose exposure was limited to several hours in a residual patch of primary forest. All patients presented with typical cutaneous lesions after a mean incubation period of 59 days (range 15?78), and one developed simultaneous mucosal involvement. PCR analysis of lesions confirmed Leishmania (V) braziliensis as the etiologic agent in 3 cases. All patients were cured with anti-leishmania treatment. Entomologic surveys in the transmission area revealed a predominance of Lutzomyia neivai. This outbreak report confirms a microfocal transmission pattern of tegumentary leishmaniasis in the Americas and based on a well determined exposure, allows the determination of incubation times for leishmaniasis due to Leishmania braziliensis.