RESUMO
Human visceral leishmaniasis occurs in periodic waves in endemic areas of Brazil. In this study we followed the prevalence of human visceral leishmaniasis and of Leishmania infantum infection in stray dogs of an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis at periods of time between 1997 and 2010. Prevalence of human visceral leishmaniasis had two peaks (40 cases) in 1997 and 2006 with sharp declines to 2 cases in 2001 and to 5 cases in 2008. Similar fluctuations were also observed in the occurrence of positive spleen culture and anti-Leishmania serology in dogs, although the proportion of dogs with active spleen parasitism remained relatively high even in the periods of low prevalence of human disease. These observations support the notion that stray dogs may constitute a renewable source of parasites, capable of sustaining the persistence of the infection in urban areas, even in periods of low transmission by phlebotomines.
Assuntos
Doenças do Cão/parasitologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/veterinária , Animais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Doenças do Cão/diagnóstico , Cães , Humanos , Leishmaniose Visceral/diagnóstico , Leishmaniose Visceral/epidemiologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/parasitologia , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: American cutaneous leishmaniasis is characterized by single or multiple ulcerations. Cytokines, among other factors, have been shown to influence lesion development and tumoral necrosis factor-alpha is a major cytokine implicated in pathogenesis of ulcers. OBSERVATIONS: We tested oral pentoxifylline, a known tumoral necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor, at doses of 400 mg (2-3x/day), associated to N-methylglucamine antimoniate (15 mg/kg/day) in two patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis unresponsive to antimonial drugs. We observed a satisfactory response with quick cure of skin lesions of these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that oral pentoxifylline in association to N-methylglucamine antimoniate should be consider in refractory cutaneous leishmaniasis patients.
