| Autor: |
Narciso TP; Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Carvalho RC; Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.; Vigilância Epidemiológica, Secretaria da Saúde, Prefeitura de Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Campos LC; Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.; Prefeitura Municipal de Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Viana AG; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitologia, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Fujiwara RT; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitologia, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Barçante TA; Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Alvarenga IM; Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Barçante JMP; Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. |
| Abstrakt: |
American visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by some species of phlebotomine sandflies from the genus Lutzomyia. This neglected tropical zoonosis shows increasing urbanization process, since the end of the 1980s. After the emergence of foci of the disease in urban areas, VL has assumed an important role in public health. Although VL is widely prevalent in several parts of the world, diagnosing the illness is still difficult. We present a case of a 12-year-old girl with a history of recurrent fever, anorexia, cachexia, chronic fatigue, weight loss, left palpebral unilateral edema, persistent cough and pancytopenia. A diagnosis of VL was performed using a reference immunochromatographic rapid test. Identification of the infecting protozoan was directly obtained by PCR of bone marrow. The patient responded favorably to treatment using liposomal amphotericin B. This is the first report of human visceral leishmaniasis in the city of Lavras in the South of Minas Gerais State. This first report of VL highlighted the need of maintenance of permanent surveillance and control programs in the city of Lavras, including the active search of sandflies, human and canine cases. The current situation of Lavras should also be taken as an alert to other near cities where favorable eco-epidemiological conditions may exist. |
