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THE TRANSMISSION DYNAMICS OF CANINE AMERICAN CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN HUÁNUCO, PERU

The epidemiology of canine American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) due to Leishmania (Viannia) spp. was investigated in Huánuco, Peru to 1) describe the natural course of canine L. (Viannia) infections and 2) assess the role of domestic dogs as ACL reservoir hosts. Over a three-year period 1,022 dogs were surveyed, with cumulative village L. (Viannia) prevalence being 26% (range = 0–100%). The incidence of L. (Viannia) was estimated to be 0.285 dogs/year (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.160–0.410) using cross-sectional data and 0.291 dogs/year (95% CI = 0.195–0.387) using data from 108 dogs that were surveyed prospectively. The recovery rate was estimated to be 0.456 dogs/year (95% CI = 0.050–0.862) and 0.520 dogs/year (95% CI = 0.302–0.738), respectively. Using those findings, the basic reproduction number was estimated to be R₀ 1.9; if dogs were the principal ACL reservoirs, the mean yearly effort (i.e., coverage or elimination) of a dog control intervention (e.g., collaring, culling, or vaccination) to ensure the elimination of L. (Viannia) spp. transmission would be as low as 47%.

Received July 1, 2003. Accepted for publication September 2, 2003.

Acknowledgments: We thank Wilder López Carrión, Luis Gomez, and Luis Leiva Lorenzo (Dirección Regional de Salud Huánuco, Peru) for their fantastic support in the field, as well as Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas and the Grupo de Estudios de Leishmaniasis (Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru) for logistical support. Rupert Quinnell (Leeds University, Leeds, United Kingdom) and Paul Coleman (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) made valuable comments on the manuscript.

Financial support: This study was funded by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust.

Authors’ addresses: Richard Reithinger and Clive R. Davies, Disease Control and Vector Biology Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, GB-London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom, Telephone: 44-207-927-2350, Fax: 44-207-927-2164. E-mails: rreithinger{at}yahoo.co.uk and clive.davies{at}lshtm.ac.uk. Juan Canales Espinoza, Dirección Regional de Salúd Huánuco, Damaso Beraún 1016, Huánuco, Departamento de Huánuco, Peru, E-mail: jcanalesespinoza{at}hotmail.com.

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