RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH AMERICAN CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN AN ENDEMIC AREA OF BRAZIL.

Brazil is among the top five countries worldwide regarding the number of cases of leishmaniasis, which are present in all of the regions of the country. The northeastern region continues to have higher numbers of cases every year and in the state of Pernambuco, 34% of the municipalities are endemic for this disease. The diversity of vectors, reservoirs and etiological agents, in association with socioeconomic and environmental conditions, gives rise to factors that can modify the behavior of American cutaneous leishmaniasis. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to determine the risk factors associated with American cutaneous leishmaniasis in the municipality of Timbaúba, Brazil. A case-control study was conducted. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The study included 58 cases and 174 controls, and they were serologically diagnosed at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ). Our results showed that some factors were associated with American cutaneous leishmaniasis: biological (gender), economic (work activity, hours spent away from home and water supply) and peridomestic (presence of animals). In our study, the associations of these variables with leishmaniasis were linked to precarious housing conditions and poverty, which are parameters that can be managed in order to prevent the disease in this region.

Leishmaniose visceral canina no município de São Vicente Férrer,Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil / Canine visceral leishmaniasis at the urban area of the Municipality of

Iniciou-se um estudo sobre a ocorrência de leishmaniose visceral canina em cães do município de São Vicente Férrer noestado de Pernambuco. No período de julho de 2003 a julho de 2005, foram coletadas amostras de sangue de 503 cãesdomésticos, de diferentes localidades, escolhidos aleatoriamente, para exame pelo teste de imunofluorescência indireta (IFI).Foram processadas preliminarmente 503 amostras de soro, das quais 12,3% (62 amostras) estavam positivas para Leishmania.Quanto às titulações encontradas nos soros reagentes, 77,4% (48 amostras) tiveram títulos de 1:40; 9,6% (6 amostras), 1:80;8,0% (5 amostras), 1:160; 3,2% (2 amostras) e 1:320 e 1,6% (1 amostra) 1:640. A partir desse resultado foram selecionados20 dos cães sorologicamente positivos para realização do aspirado de medula óssea. Destes, 85% (17) apresentaramformas amastigotas de Leishmania sp. Este é o primeiro registro do encontro de cães sorologicamente positivos paraLeishmania no município de São Vicente Férrer, estado de Pernambuco, Brasil

A study was initiated on the occurrence of Visceral Canine leishmaniasis in dogs of the Municipality of São Vicente Férrer in thestate of Pernambuco. In the period of July of 2003 the July of 2005, blood samples of 503 domestic dogs were collected fromdifferent localities, randou by and they were examined by using immunoflorecens test (IFAT). A total of 503 samples of serumwere processed preliminarily of which 12.3% (62 samples) were positive for visceral leishmaniasis. Where 77.4% (48 samples)had headings of 1:40; 9.6% (6 samples) 1:80; 8.0% (5 samples) 1:160; 3.2% (2 samples) 1:320 and 1.6% (1 sample) 1:640.From this result 20 of the sorologicamente positive dogs for accomplishment of the inhaled one of borne marrow had beenselected. Of these, 85% (17) had presented forms amastigotas of Leishmania sp. This is the first register of the detention ofsorologicamente positive dogs for Leishmania at Municipality of São Vicente Férrer, in state of Pernambuco, Brazil