Eco-epidemiological Aspects of Visceral Leishmaniasis in the Municipality of Diamantina, Jequitinhonha Valley (Minas Gerais State, Brazil)

Fernanda Batista-Santos; Diogo A N Dória; Yrllan R Sincurá; Samuel S Rosário; Ricardo T Fujiwara; Ricardo A Barata

Eco-epidemiological Aspects of Visceral Leishmaniasis in the Municipality of Diamantina, Jequitinhonha Valley (Minas Gerais State, Brazil)

Yale J Biol Med. 2021 Jun 30;94(2):209-215. eCollection 2021 Jun.

Authors

Fernanda Batista-Santos¹, Diogo A N Dória², Yrllan R Sincurá¹, Samuel S Rosário², Ricardo T Fujiwara³, Ricardo A Barata¹

Affiliations

¹ Laboratório de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales dos Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil.
² Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Diamantina, MG, Brazil.
³ Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

PMID: 34211342
PMCID: PMC8223551

Abstract

Background: The present study was carried out in the rural and urban area of Diamantina/Minas Gerais (MG), an endemic municipality for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil. Methods: Patient notification records, canine prevalence, and phlebotomine fauna were evaluated. Results: In the period from 2016 to 2018, eight human cases were confirmed, with three deaths, predominantly in males. In the same period, a total of 1,388 dogs resided in the rural and urban area of the municipality were submitted to the DPP® and ELISA, with a percentage of confirmed canine cases of 29.9% and 29.4%, respectively. The entomological study conducted in the municipality revealed the presence of 10 species of sand flies, with a predominance of Lutzomyia longipalpis (55.75%), mainly in the rural area. Conclusions: Unlike what is happening in urban centers, the results of this study suggest that the VL in Diamantina is in the process of urbanization, given the high percentage of confirmed canine cases and the high density of Lu. longipalpis in the rural area of the municipality. These risk factors warn about the need for continuous surveillance and the need to control actions of VL in this area.

Keywords: Diamantina; Epidemiology; Jequitinhonha Valley; Visceral leishmaniasis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Brazil / epidemiology
Dogs
Leishmaniasis, Visceral* / epidemiology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral* / veterinary
Male
Psychodidae*
Risk Factors