Leishmaniasis tegumentaria urbana en Barquisimeto, Venezuela

ABSTRACT

Since 1974 significant numbers of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases have turned up in the area of Barquisimeto, Venezuela's third-largest city and the capital of Lara State. One case was found in 1974, three more in 1980, and 89 more during the course of surveys conducted in 1982-1984. All 93 of these patients received parasitologic examinations and 32 were given the Montenegro test. In addition, suspensions of tissues from their lesions were inoculated into hamsters, and the infecting were isolated by culturing sera obtained from the hamster's resulting lesions. The Montenegro test produced responses with diameters from 5 to 9 mm in 23 patients and from 10 to 13 mm in nine. Parasite strains isolated from 88 of the patients were morphologically and biologically similar to Leishmania mexicana venezuelensis, and parasite strains isolated from five patients were morphologically and biologically similar to L. braziliensis ssp. The authors suggest that Lutzomyia olmeca bicolor is the most likely vector of L. m. venezuelensis. All of the patients studied were given a course of treatment with antimonial medication and all recovered