[Leish-l] Leishmaniasis - Argentina: epidemic potential

Mon Mar 30 03:35:44 BRT 2009

Dear Colleagues,
The following text :
> "The analysis of the experience from Brazil and Paraguay indicates
> that there is a probability of having one person infected for every
> 60 infected dogs"
>

  has originally been disseminated on the internet by the Argentinean  
website DataChaco (http://datachaco.com/noticia.php?numero=17399)
  on the 2nd of February. DataChaco.com is a news portal in Spanish  
which belongs to VERONICA P. IRAZOQUI
and can be contacted via:
Sosa Alejandro
Email:   alexsx2 at hotmail.com
Address: Av.Sarmiento 1616
AR - Resistencia ( zip: 3500 )
Phone  : 54 - 3722

The website maintains "content covering social, political, economic,  
cultural and sport in our province, taking advantage of the  
universality, immediacy, multimedia and interactivity that the Web  
offers".
The article in Spanish has been picked up by  the Promed service  
(ProMED-mail <promed at promed.isid.harvard.edu> which had it translated  
into English after which I distributed it via this mailing list.

Hope this gives you sufficient information about the origin of the  
above statement:

Fred

On Mar 30, 2009, at 5:11 AM, Nancy Gore Saravia wrote:

> Dear colleagues,
> The data and citation for this assertion would be greatly appreciated!
> Best regards to all,
> Nancy
>
> 2009/3/24 Gordon Hamilton <j.g.c.hamilton at biol.keele.ac.uk>
> Dear All,
>
> the article contains the following interesting statement,
>
> "The analysis of the experience from Brazil and Paraguay indicates
> that there is a probability of having one person infected for every
> 60 infected dogs"
>
> does anyone know the source of this information and is it true?
>
>
> many thanks
>
>
> Gordon Hamilton
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Chang, Kwang-Poo
> To: Laila Nimri ; fred opperdoes ; Leish-l at lineu.icb.usp.br
> Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 3:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [Leish-l] Leishmaniasis - Argentina: epidemic potential
>
> To: Prof. Laila Nimri and all
>
>
> The issue appears to be a language translation problem. I was told  
> that all blood sucking flies are referred to as “mosquito” in Spanish.
>
>
> KP
>
>
> From: leish-l-bounces at lineu.icb.usp.br [mailto:leish-l-bounces at lineu.icb.usp.br 
> ] On Behalf Of Laila Nimri
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 1:53 AM
> To: fred opperdoes; Leish-l at lineu.icb.usp.br
> Subject: Re: [Leish-l] Leishmaniasis - Argentina: epidemic potential
>
>
> Just to correct a very important information about the vector of  
> Visceral leishmaniasis, it is definitely not a mosquito, it is a  
> sand fly of the genus Lutzomyia as mentioned correctly below or a  
> Phlebotomus. The environmental or climatic changes that affect  
> mosquitoes might have affected the sand flies and lead to the  
> emergence of the disease.
>
>
> Prof. Laila Nimri
>
> From: leish-l-bounces at lineu.icb.usp.br [leish-l-bounces at lineu.icb.usp.br 
> ] On Behalf Of fred opperdoes [fred.opperdoes at uclouvain.be]
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 8:21 AM
> To: Leish-l at lineu.icb.usp.br
> Subject: [Leish-l] Leishmaniasis - Argentina: epidemic potential
>
>> Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:23:15 -0500 (EST)
>> From: ProMED-mail <promed at promed.isid.harvard.edu>
>> Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Argentina: epidemic potential
>>
>> LEISHMANIASIS - ARGENTINA: EPIDEMIC POTENTIAL
>> ***********************************************
>> A ProMED-mail post
>> <http://www.promedmail.org>
>> ProMED-mail is a program of the
>> International Society for Infectious Diseases
>> <http://www.isid.org>
>>
>> Date: Tue 24 Feb 2009
>> Source: Datachaco.com [trans. Mod JGM, edited]
>> <http://datachaco.com/noticia.php?numero=17399>
>>
>>
>> The occurrence of cases of yellow fever made people pay attention to
>> mosquito-borne diseases, and dengue fever, which is currently
>> attacking with unusual strength in Paraguay, set another alarm in
>> Chaco, Corrientes, and Misiones provinces, which share borders with
>> Paraguay and Bolivia.
>>
>> However, a new emerging disease has become the main epidemic threat
>> in Argentina: Visceral leishmaniasis. This little known disease is
>> being analyzed now as a cause for a sanitary red alert in Argentina.
>>
>> Visceral leishmaniasis is also caused by a mosquito-borne parasite.
>> There is no vaccine for this disease, and therapy is instituted only
>> once a case is clearly defined. Its mortality rate is around 8 per
>> cent, and it has a particular feature: Dogs may act as reservoirs for
>> the parasite.
>>
>> A summary of the life cycle of the parasite indicates that
>> _Lutzomyia_ insects infect dogs. These animals develop the disease
>> and transmit the parasite to another insect vector, which now is
>> capable of transmitting visceral leishmaniasis to humans. There is no
>> human-to-human transmission.
>>
>> Since the very 1st case was reported in 2006, 36 persons have been
>> affected, and there are 4 deceased patients. The possibility of a
>> rapid increase in the number of cases is a reason for concern.
>>
>> Last week 2 cases of visceral leishmaniasis were reported in Posadas.
>> One is an 18-year-old woman, and the other is a 21-year-old man, who
>> separately developed the symptoms of the disease. Some personnel from
>> the army are currently collaborating with municipal authorities in
>> Posadas for cleaning wastelands, which are considered breeding places
>> for insect vectors.
>>
>> This health problem has become quite dangerous and important in the
>> main cities in Misiones province, and specialists warn that the
>> disease may reach other provinces in the short term.
>>
>> "We are observing that the vector is spreading fast, and 2 corridors
>> have been established, one directing towards Resistencia and the
>> other one towards Corrientes. Also, the northern area of Entre Rios,
>> as well as Santa Fe, and Cordoba are vulnerable places. The mosquito
>> vector for visceral leishmaniasis has become an urban-living insect,
>> so there is a substantial risk for its presence in big urban
>> centers," explained Dr. Daniel Salomon, from the National Center for
>> Epidemics in Argentina's Ministry of Health.
>>
>> "It is quite difficult to implement preventive measures, because
>> people are so in love with their pets," commented Dr. Salomon. There
>> are very few options for controlling the spread of the disease apart
>> from sacrificing sick animals.
>>
>> In 2004, the 1st dog infected with the causative agent of visceral
>> leishmaniasis was detected. When 40 cases were reported in Misiones
>> province, the Ministry of Health issued a red alert. Nonetheless, the
>> current situation is much worse. In Posadas, it was determined that
>> 7000 dogs actually have the parasite. Additionally, there are 300
>> infected dogs in Corrientes, and it is worth mentioning that in its
>> capital city, there are thousands of homeless dogs considered to be
>> infected with the parasite.
>>
>> The analysis of the experience from Brazil and Paraguay indicates
>> that there is a probability of having one person infected for every
>> 60 infected dogs. There is a high risk for an epidemic.
>>
>> Sanitary authorities recommend that pets must not be carried to the
>> areas considered to be at risk. It is also advisable not to transport
>> dogs from the affected regions to other areas in the country. The
>> idea is to cut the transmission cycle of the parasite. Those persons
>> who may visit the northern part of Argentina must be immunized
>> against yellow fever as an ordinary preventive measure, and they must
>> leave their pets at home as an additional preventive measure.
>>
>> "Visceral leishmaniasis was present in the northern part of South
>> America until migrating workers started moving it towards the south.
>> In early 2000, there were some important outbreaks in Campo Grande do
>> Sul and in Asuncion, where the average number of persons infected is
>> around 70 per year. In Brazil there are around 4000 cases and 200
>> deaths per year," pointed out Dr. Salomon, who had been doing some
>> field work during the past few weeks in the Litoral provinces.
>>
>> He also added: "There is a trend for an increase in visceral
>> leishmaniasis, so the disease may spread, and it is expected to have
>> more cases."
>>
>> Climate changes and deforesting seem to be the main explanations for
>> the migration of mosquito-borne diseases. However, trying to justify
>> the occurrence of emergent diseases only because of reasons inherent
>> to nature itself may exonerate provincial and municipal authorities
>> for not complying with their obligations with respect to the
>> implementation of disease control programs and cleaning empty lots.
>>
>> Consequently, now there are many public accusations between Misiones,
>> Corrientes, and Chaco health officers. These persons, now that there
>> are cases of visceral leishmaniasis, immediately try to explain that
>> transmission may have taken place outside their respective
>> jurisdictions. The clear point is that the mosquito vector appears
>> because of lack of public hygiene.
>>
>> - --
>> Communicated by:
>> ProMED-mail <promed at promedmail.org>
>>
>> [Leishmaniasis has been slowly spreading in northern Argentina over
>> the past decades (Salomon O et al. First visceral leishmaniasis focus
>> in Argentina. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2008;103:109-11
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18368242?ordinalpos=9&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum 
>> >).
>>
>> The ecology of the vector has been changing, and increasing
>> urbanization has been suggested as one of the explanations (Salomon
>> OD et al. Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psycodidae) fauna in the Chaco
>> region and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis transmission patterns in
>> Argentina. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2008;103:578-84
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18949328?ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum 
>> >).
>>  - Mod.EP]
>>
>
>
>
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> -- 
> NANCY GORE SARAVIA
> Directora Cientifíca
> Tel (57)(2) 6682164 ext 208
> saravian at cideim.org.co
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