[leish-l] Re; Leishmania in Antigua

[Richard Ashford]

Dear all,

Interesting correspondence on the supposed Antiguan leish case.  This 
highlights the problem of having no widely accepted molecular method for 
describing individual infections so that they can be identified according 
to a reliable classification.  This is where we came in, of course, some 
thirty, or even seventy years ago.  I wonder what 'the biopsies have a 
positive PCR for L mexicana sp complex' actually means.  Is it that the PCR 
primers used specifically amplify bits of L. mexicana only, so that any 
product must be L. mexicana 'sp complex', or is it that the product reacted 
with specific probes, whether DNA or monoclonal probes?  Or is that my 
understanding is stuck in the dark ages?

I agree, and have often stated, that monoclonals and DNA probes may be very 
valuable for eco/epidemiological work in circumstances where the range of 
parasites present is well understood.  But for aberrant cases or cases from 
special places, full, standardised enzyme description is essential before 
any useful answer can be suggested.  I wonder if any parasites were even 
seen in Rob's case?

Go well,

Dick



--On 16 September 2005 11:11 -0400 "Arias, Jorge Dr." 
<Jorge.Arias at fairfaxcounty.gov> wrote:

> I agree with Bob Killick Kendrick in that there are no official reports
> of either sandflies or leishmaniasis from Antigua. If the patients stay
> on the island was brief, and it did not include the extra-urban area of
> the island, I would pursue more travel history (Yucatan Peninsula?
> Cancun, Cozumel, Belize?) even if it was in a previous trip in the last
> year. There is a _mexicana_ complex parasite in the Dominican Republic
> that causes DCL, but it is not know to cause CL.
> In the event there is something new out there that hasn't come to light
> yet, it may be worthwhile to contact Chris Frederickson (CAREC) at
> frederch at carec.paho.org to see if he has seen anything new reported.
> Keep us posted, it is interesting.
> Good luck,
>
> Jorge R. Arias Ph.D.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
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>    1. Antigua & leishmaniasis (BobKillick-Kendrick)
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> Message: 1
> From: "BobKillick-Kendrick" <killickendrick at wanadoo.fr>
> To: <leish-l at fat.org.br>
> Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 11:48:16 +0200
> Subject: [leish-l] Antigua & leishmaniasis
>
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> There is no mention of leishmaniasis in Antigua in the comprehensive =
> review by Arias et al. (1996) [Epidemiologia y control de la =
> leishmaniasis en las Am=E9ricas, por pais o territorio.OPS, Cuaderno =
> T=E9cnico 44]. (Google this to see it on line.) Furthermore, there are =
> no records of phlebotomine sand flies on Antigua in the most up-to-date
> = book on American phlebotomines [Young & Duncan, 1994.] But this does
> not = mean there is no leishmaniasis on Antigua. Probably nobody has
> looked = for sand flies there, and L. mexicana might be on the island in
> forest = rodents with no human cases yet recorded - as in Trinidad.
> Confirmation = of the identity of the parasite seems necessary -
> preferably by = isoenzymes(?)=20 Bob Killick-Kendrick
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R.W. Ashford
Consultant Biologist
Professor (Retired) of Parasite and Vector Biology
c/o Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Liverpool L3 5QA
Tel: +44 151 632 2714
Fax: +44 151 705 3371
e-mail: ashford at liv.ac.uk