Abstract
The Brazilian city of Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul State, has experienced an urban outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis since 2000. In 2002, due to the increase in the number of cases, 46 families with cases of visceral leishmaniasis were studied to verify the prevalence of asymptomatic infection in household contacts. Indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA showed a 36.4% positive infection rate. There were no cases of symptomatic disease among these contacts. There was no statistically significant difference in gender or age. Median age was 21 years, and the 10-19-year age bracket was the most heavily affected (23%). As for family characteristics, no differences were observed in schooling or family income; most families (58.7%) owned their homes, which were built of masonry (97.8%) and had adequate infrastructure. All the families reported what were probably phlebotomine sand flies in the peridomicile. In conclusion, asymptomatic visceral leishmaniasis infection is frequent and occurs in both males and females, regardless of age.
Highlights
The Brazilian city of Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul State, has experienced an urban outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis since 2000
The current study aimed to estimate the percentage rate of asymptomatic infection in family contacts of visceral leishmaniasis patients and the epidemiological conditioning factors for acquiring the infection in Três Lagoas, a municipality in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, where the disease has spread recently, with autochthonous cases confirmed in October 2000, and where it has expanded rapidly and is difficult to control 21
No statistically significant difference was observed in distribution by gender or age bracket (Table 1)
Summary
The Brazilian city of Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul State, has experienced an urban outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis since 2000. The classical form of the disease is manifested by fever, weight loss, hepatosplenomegaly, and pancytopenia, and when not treated adequately can evolve to death [12,13] It is not known exactly why some cases of visceral leishmaniasis course as asymptomatic infection while others evolve to clinical illness. The current study aimed to estimate the percentage rate of asymptomatic infection in family contacts of visceral leishmaniasis patients and the epidemiological conditioning factors for acquiring the infection in Três Lagoas, a municipality (county) in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, where the disease has spread recently, with autochthonous cases confirmed in October 2000, and where it has expanded rapidly and is difficult to control 21. No autochthonous cases of tegumentary leishmaniasis have been reported in the same municipality of Três Lagoas
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