Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. vol.19 número3

Carta ao Editor. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 19:195-196, Jul-Set, 1986

UNUSUAL PREVALENCE OF LEISHMANIA

BRAZILIENSIS BRAZILIENSIS IN

FOUR FAMILIES

In th e a rea o f T r ê s B r a ç o s , B a h ia , B r a zil, o n e o f th e fe w rem a in in g a r ea s o f b a h ia n litto ra l fo rest, teg u m en ta ry le is h m a n ia s is is e n d e m ic 1.

Leishmania

braziliensis braziliensis

H o w e v e r h a v e s e e n a n u n u su a l p r e v a le n c e o f le is h m a n ia s is in fo u r f a m ilie s in th e a rea a n d it is t h e s e fa m ilie s w e w is h t o rep o r t h ere.

T a b le 1 lis ts r e le v a n t e p id e m io lo g ic a l d a ta o n th e fo u r fa m ilie s . H ig h n u m b ers o f c a s e s o f le ish m a ­ n ia s is o cc u rr ed in e a c h fa m ily . F r o m tw o p a tien ts in F a m ily 1 w ith c u ta n e o u s d is e a s e a n d o n e p a tien t w ith m u c o s a l d is e a s e in e a c h o f fa m ilie s 3 a n d 4 s to c k s w e re re c o v e r e d a n d id e n tifie d a s

Leishmania braziliensis

braziliensis.

A n u m b er o f fa m ily m em b e rs a cq u ir ed th e d is e a s e in th e s a m e y e a r a sit u a tio n r es em b lin g th e m ic ro e p id e m ic s s e e n in ce r ta in fa rm s. T h e s e y ea rs w e re v a ria b le a n d in th ree in s ta n c e s ( F a m ily 2 a n d tw o o c c a s io n s in F a m ily 4 ) c o in c id e d w ith th e c le a rin g o f fo re s t fo r a n e w h o u s e o r p la n t a tio n . A l i fa m ilie s liv e d in h e a v ily fo r e s te d a re a s a n d w e h a v e r e c e n tly rep o rted a n a s s o c ia t io n b e t w e e n m u c o s a l d is e a s e p a tien ts an d

fo re s t re g io n s in th is a rea 4 . T h e n u m b er o f p a tie n ts w ith m u c o s a l d is e a s e is v a r ia b le a n d w ill d e p e n d o n th e tim e in ter v a l a fter in itia l c u ta n e o u s in fe c tio n 3.

N e g r o id o rig in s h a s b e e n s u g g e s te d a s a fa ctor fa v o u r in g m u c o s a l in v o lv e m e n t b u t in th e v e ry m ix e d B r a z ilia n p o p u la tio n s sk in c o lo u r w a s n o t a s s o c ia te d w ith a g rea ter in c id e n c e o f m u c o s a l d is e a s e 5 . In th ese fo u r fa m ilie s F a m ily 4 h a d th e lig h te s t sk in co lo u r s a n d th e h ig h e s t n u m b e r o f p a tien ts w ith m u c o s a l d is e a s e . It w o u ld s e e m th a t th e u n u s u a l in c id e n c e o f le ish m a ­ n ia s is in th e s e f a m ilie s is n o t d u e to a g en e tic p r e d is p o s it io n b u t to h ig h risk e p id e m io lo g ic a l fa cto rs a s s o c ia t e d w ith h o u s e s it in g a n d fo res t cleariríg.

R E F E R E N t E S

1. B arreto A C , C u b a C C , M a r s d e n P D , V e x e n a t A , D e B eld er M . C a ra cterística s ep id em io ló g ica s d a leish m a -n io s e tegu m e-n tar a m erica-n a em um a região e-n d êm ica d o E st a d o d a B a h ia , B ra sil. I. L eish m a n io se hu m an a. B o le-tin O ficin a S a n itá ria P an a m erica n a 90: 4 1 5 - 4 2 2 , 1 9 8 1 .

2 . C u b a C C , M a r s d e n P D , B arreto A C , R o itm a n I , V e x e n a t A , D e L una L , D e S á M H . Id en tifica tio n o f h u m an sto ck s o f L eish m a n ia sp p . is o la ted from patien ts w ith m u c o c u ta n e o u s leish m a n ia sis in T r ês B ra ço s, B a h ia -B ra zil. T ra n sa ctio n s o f the R o y a l S o c ie ty o f T ro p ic a l M ed ic in e and H y g ie n e 78: 7 0 8 - 7 1 0 , 1 9 8 4 . 3. M a rsd en P D , L la n o s -C u en ta s E A , L a go E L , C u b a C C ,

Barreto A C , C o st a J M , J o n es T C . H u m a n m ucocutaneous leis h m a n ia sis in T rês B r a ço s, B a hia -B ra zil. A n area o f

Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis.

T a b le 1

-Prevalence of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis* in four families

Family No. Initials of

family head

No. of

family

members

No. with

skin scars of

leishmaniasis

No. acquiring

disease in

same year

Year of

maximum

acquisition

No. with

mucosal

disease

1 J T 9 8

4

2 B O 13 8

7

3 F S 1 0 7 3 1 9 6 7 2

4 P S 9 6 3 a n d 3 1 9 7 2 a n d 1 9 7 5 3

( * ) A li sk in sca rs w ere a s so cia t ed w ith a p o sitiv e M o n ten eg ro test.

Carta ao Editor. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 19:195-196, Jul-Set, 1986

4 . N e tt o E M , M a rsd en P D , C o st a J M L , B arreto A C , C u b a C C . P ro c ed ê n c ia da p a cien te co m leish m a n io s e de m u co sa em área en d êm ica da B a h ia , B ra sil. R e v is ta da S o cied a d e B rasileira d e M ed icin a T rop ical 19: 1 2 1 -1 2 2 ,

19 8 6 .

5 . T a v a r es -N et o J , C o st a J M L , M a rsd en P D , B arreto A C , C u b a C C . C o m p o s iç ã o ra cial e a a v a lia ç ã o d a rea çã o intrad érm ica d e M o n ten eg ro em porta dores d e le is h ­ m a n io s e cu tâ n eo -m u co sa . R e v ista d a S o c ie d a d e B ra si­ leira d e M ed icin a T ro pical 19: 7 5 - 7 8 . 1 9 8 6 .

L. W o n g 1, E . M . N e t t o 2 , K . W i e s e 1, F . F ra n ça 2 , C . C. C u ba2 , E . A . L la n o s-C u en ta s2, T .C . J o n e s 1, W . D . J o h n so n 1, A . C . Barreto2 and P. D . M arsden 2.

1. D e p a rtm en t o f In tern ation al M ed ic in e , C o m e ll M ed ic a i C en ter, N e w York.

2 . N ú c le o d e M ed ic in a T ro p ica l e N u tr iç ã o , U n iv er sity o f B r a sília , B ra zil.