A leishmaniose visceral é uma doença endêmica em Recife, Pernambuco?

[Geographical expansion of visceral leishmaniasis in the State of Pernambuco]

This study aimed to demonstrate the geographical expansion of visceral leishmaniasis in Pernambuco State, Brazil. With data on the number of visceral leishmaniasis cases notified from 1990 to 2001, maps showing the biannual evolution of the geographical distribution of the disease per municipality were elaborated. A map of the cumulative geographical distribution of the cases registered during the whole period was also constructed. From 1990 to 2001, 1,737 cases of visceral leishmaniasis were notified in Pernambuco. In 1990, 15.2% (n = 28) of the municipalities notified cases of the disease. In contrast, this percentage increased to 78.3% (n = 144), over an eleven-year period. The map of cumulative geographical distribution during the whole period shows a notable concentration of cases in Agreste and Sertão. A notable geographical expansion of visceral leishmaniasis in Pernambuco also occurred, probably reflecting the low impact of the current control measures and, possibly, an improvement in the notification system.

Phlebotomine sandfly species from an American visceral leishmaniasis area in the Northern Rainforest region of Pernambuco State, Brazil

The aim of this study was to identify the fauna of phlebotomine sandflies in an area with incidence of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) in São Vicente Férrer, a municipality (county) located in the northern Zona da Mata in Pernambuco State, Brazil. Sandfly captures were conducted monthly for four nights/month from December 2002 to November 2003, by means of manual captures (with a Shannon trap) and by CDC light traps. A total of 23,156 specimens of phlebotomines sandflies were collected in a remnant of the Atlantic rainforest, houses, and animal shelters. Lutzomyia complexa was the most prevalent species, with a frequency of 62.5% (14,445/23,156), followed by Lutzomyia migonei, with 33.2% (7,677/23,156). No Lutzomyia longipalpis (the main vector of Leishmania chagasi in Brazil and the Americas) was found in the target area. Some specimens were dissected, but no Leishmania parasites were found.

Situação atual da epidemiologia da leishmaniose visceral em Pernambuco

O objetivo do estudo foi descrever a situação epidemiológica atual da leishmaniose visceral no Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se revisão na literatura científica sobre a epidemiologia visceral em Pernambuco, por meio das buscas nas bases MEDLINE, SciELO e LILACS. Adicionalmente, foram consultados outros artigos relevantes que não foram localizados nas bases eletrônicas. Os 18 trabalhos selecionados para a revisão indicam que: a leishmaniose visceral possui ampla distribuição geográfica; os casos humanos estão freqüentemente associados à pressão antrópica sobre o meio ambiente; as crianças têm sido mais freqüentemente afetadas pela doença. Esses resultados mostraram a necessidade de mais estudos sobre os fatores de risco associados à incidência da doença no homem, o papel dos hospedeiros de Leishmania chagasi no ciclo zoonótico de transmissão e o comportamento do vetor nas diferentes regiões geográficas do Estado.