VL Sao Paulo

[CARLOS BRISOLA MARCONDES]

Dear Dr. Shaw,
the authorities and people of São Paulo  State have a great problem! Last
week, a veterinarian from Taboão da Serra wrote to me, looking for
informations on the profilaxis of VL and very worried with the killing of
dogs.

Carlos Brisola Marcondes

-----Mensagem original-----
De: Jeffrey Shaw <jshaw at tba.com.br>
Para: Multiple recipients of list <leish-l at bdt.org.br>
Data: Terça-feira, 22 de Junho de 1999 00:45
Assunto: VL Sao Paulo


>The following is a copy of a correspondance sent to Promed and a related
>article published in one of Brazil principal newspapers.
>
>The concern of these reports is that canine visceral leishmaniasis is
>moveing south into the heavily populated State of São Paulo.
>
>LEISHMANIASIS, VISCERAL, FATAL - BRAZIL (SAO PAULO)
>********************************************
>A ProMED-mail post
><http://www.healthnet.org/programs/promed/html>
>
>[see also:
>Leishmaniasis, visceral, dogs - Brazil (Sao Paulo)   981110130328
>Leishmaniasis - Brazil: Background                            981114223903]
>
>Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 15:09:17 -0300
>From: "CARLOS BRISOLA MARCONDES" <cbrisola at mbox1.ufsc.br>
>Source: newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo 16 Jun 1999 [translated]
>
>
>A 14 year old girl died of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Municipality
>of Aracatuba, in the State of Sao Paulo. This is the first death of this
>disease in the state. She was being treated as leukemic for one year, and
VL
>was  found one week ago.
>
>739 dogs in about 10 000 in the city are positive, there are no vehicles to
>transport dogs to be killed, and there are positive dogs in 13 nearby
>cities, within a radius of 50 km.
>
>--
>Prof. Dr. Carlos Brisola Marcondes
>Depto Microbiol. Parasitol./CCB
>UFSC - Campus Trindade
>88040-900 Florianopolis (SC)
>Brazil
>
>[Dogs are the reservoir of VL, caused by protozoan parasites of the genus
>_Leishmania_ transmitted by sandflies (phlebotomines). Some of the symptoms
>are lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes),  leukopenia, a lowering
>of the white cell count in the blood, & anemia, lowering of the red cell
>count, a combination which in some cases might mimic leukemia, which is a
>cancerous proliferation of the white cells.  It is not clear whether the
>child was misdiagnosed for one year, or whether the leukemia treatment
>contributed to the VL infection spreading throughout her body.  In any
>event, this case should alert physicians to look for alternative diagnoses
>to chronic blood count abnormalities - Mod.JW]
>..................................................jw
>
>A further report on this outbreak appeared in the Correio Braziliensis.
>Brasília, Distrito Federal, 16 June 1999.
>[http://www.correioweb.com.br/7dias/sexta.htm/brasil/pagina5.htm]
>This relates the difficulties of the local health authorities are having in
>elliminating infected dogs. Some owners, especially those of pedigree dogs,
>hide them to avoid them being sacrificed.
>
>   "Segundo a diretora da Vigilância Epidemiológica do
>          estado, Lucelena Araújo, os agentes sanitários enfrentam
>          forte resistência da população, que tenta evitar de todas
>          as formas a execução de cães, principalmente os de raça.
>          Dos 132 animais que apresentaram exame sorológico
>          positivo no mês de maio, 25 não foram sacrificados porque
>          seus donos não admitiram a ação das autoridades
>          sanitárias. A doença é transmitida do cachorro — principal
>          hospedeiro do protozoário — para o homem por meio da
>          picada de um mosquito.
>
>            Diretores das unidades de saúde que participam do
>          combate à doença se reuniram ontem para discutir formas
>          de se acelerar o sacrifício dos cães contaminados. O
>          secretário estadual de Saúde, José da Silva Guedes,
>          criticou os sanitaristas de Araçatuba afirmando que é
>          preciso ter mais agilidade no controle de cães doentes.
>          Ele lembrou que países como a China erradicaram a
>          doença matando inclusive cães sadios."