Page 359 - Resúmen - XXV Congreso Latinoamericano de Parasitología - FLAP

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Prevalence of human infection by Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi in the

Municipality of Amapala, Pacific Coast of Honduras

Sosa, Wilfredo ; Zúniga, Concepción ; Sandoval, Carmen ; Araujo, Gabriela ; Da Matta,
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Vânia ; Gomes, Claudia ; Corbett, Carlos ; Silveira, Fernando ; Laurenti, Marcia
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1 Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras; Hospital
Escuela Universitario; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo/Patologia; Laboratório de
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Leishmanioses, Instituto Evandro Chagas

In Central America countries, such as Honduras, Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi is regarded the unique
etiological agent of both American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) and non-ulcerated cutaneous leishmaniasis
(NUCL). However, although AVL is recognized the most severe clinical-immunological profile of human
infection, recent studies have shown additional clinical-immunological profiles of this parasite-host
interaction. In this way, the aim of the present study was to determine the overall prevalence rate of human-
infection, as well as the clinical-immunological profiles of infection in the municipality of Amapala, in the
Pacific coast of Honduras. In this sense, 576 individuals of both genders, from one year-old were examined
by the combining use of ELISA-IgG and DTH assays. Additionally, it was also performed parasitological
diagnosis of those cases presenting suspected NUCL, including the parasite isolation and its
characterization through PCR-RFLP. From 576 individuals examined, 58.3% were females and 41.7%
males. Clinical evaluation of these individuals revealed 82% (472) asymptomatic and 18% (104)
symptomatic. Among the symptomatic ones, all presented clinical manifestation of NUCL, from which
parasitological diagnosis was positive in 100% of cases. Of these, eight Leishmania samples were isolated
and characterized as L. (L.) infantum chagasi. However, only 50% NUCL cases showed reactivity to DTH,
5.8% to ELISA, 3.9% to both tests, while 40.4% were negative. Age distribution of NUCL cases showed
58.7% older than 15 years and 41.3 % younger. Cutaneous lesions were predominantly localized in the
extremities (64.7%) and in the thorax (35.3%). In asymptomatic cases, 22.3% showed reactivity to DTH,
12.3% to ELISA, and 9.9% to both tests, giving an infection prevalence of 44.5% (210/472). Thus, taking in
account the symptomatic (104) and asymptomatic (210) cases the final infection prevalence rate in
Amapala municipality was 54.5%.

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