Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Brazil has a high number of cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in the north and northeast regions. Therefore, continuous surveillance of environmental and socioeconomic factors in endemic areas is needed to develop strategic control measures. This study aimed to describe the clinical and epidemiological profiles of patients with ACL. METHODS: All patients were from the states of Amazonas and Pernambuco, and examinations were carried out between 2015 and 2018. All patients had a clinical and epidemiological history compatible with ACL after positive diagnostic tests. Information obtained from medical records included gender, employment activity, level of education, age, and number and sites of lesions. RESULTS: A total of 213 patients were included, of whom 30.98% were female and 69.02% were male. The main employment activity was agriculture (27.56%). The most common level of education was elementary (62.42%). The average age was approximately 39 years. The majority of the patients presented only with one lesion (54.87%), and legs/feet were the most commonly affected area (48.25%), followed by the arms/hands (44.75%). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrated that irrespective of the patients’ places of origin, interventions need to be focused on men of economically productive age, in view of the high risk of exposure to the vector in this group. Education activities need to be directed to farmers about the importance of protection against ACL vectors during work. Such information must also be directed to employers as a way of implementing and maintaining appropriate working conditions and stepping up vector control.
Highlights
Brazil has a high number of cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in the north and northeast regions
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is widely prevalent and possesses specific epidemiological characteristics in the New World, where the disease is known as American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL)[5]
ACL is characterized as a pool of diseases with distinct clinical and immunopathological manifestations, in which the development and exacerbation of host symptoms are related to a variety of factors such as the parasite species involved in the infection, immunological and/or nutritional status of the patient, age of the patient, and whether the patient resides in an endemic area[6]
Summary
Brazil has a high number of cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in the north and northeast regions. Information obtained from medical records included gender, employment activity, level of education, age, and number and sites of lesions. Education activities need to be directed to farmers about the importance of protection against ACL vectors during work. Such information must be directed to employers as a way of implementing and maintaining appropriate working conditions and stepping up vector control. ACL is characterized as a pool of diseases with distinct clinical and immunopathological manifestations, in which the development and exacerbation of host symptoms are related to a variety of factors such as the parasite species involved in the infection, immunological and/or nutritional status of the patient, age of the patient, and whether the patient resides in an endemic area[6]
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