Human cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by <I>Leishmania naiffi</I> is wide-spread in South America

Abstract

Four human cases of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania naiffi are reported. Two of the cases were infected in French Guiana, one in French Guiana or Martinique, and the other in Ecuador or Peru. The geographical distribution of L. naiffi is clearly larger than that initially reported. Three zymodemes were represented by the four isolates, confirming that there is intraspecific polymorphism in L. naiffi.

Epidemiology of leishmaniasis in Ecuador: current status of knowledge - A review

“…In the Amazon region only L. (V.) braziliensis was identified, but hybrid genotypes between L. (V.) panamensis/guyanensis and L. (V.) braziliensis had also been reported (Bañuls et al 1997). Furthermore, Pratlong et al (2002) identified L. naiffi in a German patient with CL suspected to be infected in this region.…”

First human cases of Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi infection in Ecuador and identification of its suspected vector species

“…Surinam Darie et al, 1995;Pratlong et al, 2002;Fouque et al, 2007;van der Snoek et al, 2009;van Thiel et al, 2010;Felinto de Brito et al, 2012).…”

Ecology of the Leishmania Species in the Guianan Ecoregion Complex

“…However, isolates from different polymorphic species show plesiomorphic similarities in their enzymatic or genetic profiles, suggesting that they may have originated from one primary sylvatic enzootic form. 80,81 Globally, although L. (V.) braziliensis [82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90] and in a lesser extent L. (V.) amazonensis 85,91 were shown to be highly polymorphic, L. (V.) naiffi, 45,82,83 L. (V.) guyanensis, 46,83,88 and L. (L.) deanei 92 were shown to have less diversity. Leishmania (V.) lainsoni was shown to be more invariant.…”

“…An intra-specific polymorphism has been reported in L. (V.) naiffi. 45 As suggested by Lainson and others, 173 if one considers that L. (V.) naiffi rarely produces a discernable skin lesion in hamsters, some infections may have been missed when a lesion was the sole detection method. Nonetheless, considering its clinical features and its incidence in the GEC, this parasite does not appear to be an important pathogen of humans.…”

“…36 It is noteworthy that the geographic distribution of L. (V.) naiffi was recently shown to be much larger than that initially reported, and now includes Peru, Ecuador, and Martinique. 45 Vectors. In Brazil, Lu.…”