Spatial distribution, Leishmania species and clinical traits of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis cases in the Colombian army

Abstract

In Colombia, the cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common manifestation across the army personnel. Hence, it is mandatory to determine the species associated with the disease as well as the association with the clinical traits. A total of 273 samples of male patients with CL were included in the study and clinical data of the patients was studied. PCR and sequencing analyses (Cytb and HSP70 genes) were performed to identify the species and the intra-specific genetic variability. A georeferenced database was constructed to identify the spatial distribution of Leishmania species isolated. The identification of five species of Leishmania that circulate in the areas where army personnel are deployed is described. Predominant infecting Leishmania species corresponds to L. braziliensis (61.1%), followed by Leishmania panamensis (33.5%), with a high distribution of both species at geographical and municipal level. The species L. guyanensis, L. mexicana and L. lainsoni were also detected at lower frequency. We also showed the identification of different genotypes within L. braziliensis and L. panamensis. In conclusion, we identified the Leishmania species circulating in the areas where Colombian army personnel are deployed, as well as the high intra-specific genetic variability of L. braziliensis and L. panamensis and how these genotypes are distributed at the geographic level.

Cutaneous schistosomiasis and leishmaniasis coinfection: a case report

“…It is considered a zoonotic disease, as it is transmitted from non‐human vertebrates to humans accidentally. Leishmaniasis represents a global health problem, affecting at least 12 million people worldwide in more than 98 countries; the World Health Organization still considers it one of the emerging infectious diseases . The disease manifests over a spectrum of forms, from cutaneous to mucocutaneous to the potentially fatal visceral leishmaniasis.…”

“…Leishmaniasis represents a global health problem, affecting at least 12 million people worldwide in more than 98 countries; the World Health Organization still considers it one of the emerging infectious diseases. 4 The disease manifests over a spectrum of forms, from cutaneous to mucocutaneous to the potentially fatal visceral leishmaniasis. The localized cutaneous form is characterized by a self-healing lesion at the site of the bite.…”

Toward an objective diagnostic for detection of Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) in clinical samples from cutaneous leishmaniasis patients

“…Colombia has one of the world’s highest cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) incidences (40, 41). Approximately 10,000 new cases are reported each year, with L. (V) panamensis and L. (V) braziliensis being the most common agents associated to human disease (42–44). The complication rates for ML and TFCL are not well known but have been estimated in other South American regions.…”

Intraspecific Genomic Divergence and Minor Structural Variations in Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis

“…Species identification was performed using the direct Sanger sequencing of genes encoding cytochrome b molecules and heat shock protein (HSP70), as described previously [5,6]. The amplification products were purified with EXOSAP (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA, USA) and sequenced using the dideoxy-terminal method in an automated capillary sequencer (AB3730; Applied Biosystem, Foster City, CA, USA).…”

“…It can be caused by a wide variety of Leishmania species such as L. braziliensis, L. amazonensis, L. aethiopica, L. mexicana, L. guyanensis, L. panamensis, L. peruviana, L. tropica, and L. major [4]. Despite a large number of Leishmania species associated with this disease in South America, the main species responsible for CL are L. panamensis and L. braziliensis [5,6]. These species are characterized not only by their wide geographical distributions across the region and their associations with the intra-and peridomiciliary transmission cycles [5] but also by their abilities to infect different mammalian hosts and adapt to new vectors (sandflies).…”