| Past two years | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 905 | 905 | 602 |
| Full Text Views | 11 | 11 | 8 |
| PDF Downloads | 13 | 13 | 10 |
Epidemiological and Molecular Surveillance of Leishmania Species among Humans, Vectors, and Dogs in a Wildland-Urban Interface of Cartagena, Colombia
Mashiel Fernández-Ruiz
Mashiel Fernández-Ruiz
UNIMOL Research Group, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
PhD program in Tropical Medicine, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
Search for other papers by Mashiel Fernández-Ruiz in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
PhD program in Tropical Medicine, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
Search for other papers by Mashiel Fernández-Ruiz in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Eder Cano-Pérez
Eder Cano-Pérez
UNIMOL Research Group, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
PhD program in Tropical Medicine, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
Search for other papers by Eder Cano-Pérez in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
PhD program in Tropical Medicine, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
Search for other papers by Eder Cano-Pérez in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Jaison Torres-Pacheco
Jaison Torres-Pacheco
UNIMOL Research Group, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
PhD program in Tropical Medicine, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
Search for other papers by Jaison Torres-Pacheco in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
PhD program in Tropical Medicine, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
Search for other papers by Jaison Torres-Pacheco in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Wilson Ortega-Hernández
Wilson Ortega-Hernández
Departamento Administrativo Distrital de Salud (DADIS), Programa de Salud Ambiental, Cartagena, Colombia;
Search for other papers by Wilson Ortega-Hernández in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Wilson Ortega-Hernández in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Maxy B. De Los Santos
Maxy B. De Los Santos
Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit South (NAMRU-SOUTH), Lima, Peru
Search for other papers by Maxy B. De Los Santos in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Maxy B. De Los Santos in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Hugo O. Valdivia
Hugo O. Valdivia
Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit South (NAMRU-SOUTH), Lima, Peru
Search for other papers by Hugo O. Valdivia in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hugo O. Valdivia in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Doris Gómez-Camargo
dmtropical@unicartagena.edu.co
Doris Gómez-Camargo
UNIMOL Research Group, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
PhD program in Tropical Medicine, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
Search for other papers by Doris Gómez-Camargo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
PhD program in Tropical Medicine, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia;
Search for other papers by Doris Gómez-Camargo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
In Colombia, human leishmaniasis is endemic in rural areas, with increasing reports of outbreaks and cases in urban areas. Cartagena, an urban city in the Colombian Caribbean with a wildland-urban interface, faced its first local cases between 2011 and 2015. Despite reports, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) remains neglected and understudied and almost devoid of active surveillance. Here we report the epidemiological and molecular surveillance of Leishmania species in humans, domestic dogs, and sandflies at the wildland interface in two poverty-stricken neighborhoods of Cartagena. In October 2021, we conducted a surveillance study in the El Toril and La Quinta neighborhoods. Blood samples were collected from 150 healthy humans and 77 domestic dogs for Leishmania species testing by using molecular tools. Five human samples (3.3%) tested positive for Leishmania, one case in El Toril and four cases in La Quinta. The Leishmania donovani complex was detected in three human samples, and all dog samples tested negative for Leishmania. CDC light traps placed for three consecutive days in peridomiciliary areas of the Leishmania-positive case in El Toril allowed the capture of seven females of Lutzomyia dubitans, but none tested positive for Leishmania. Multiple attempts to conduct entomological surveillance in La Quinta were unsuccessful because of non-study-related issues. Our findings contribute to the characterization of the epidemiology of VL in Cartagena, revealing possible neglected cryptic infections in two neighborhoods with an urban-wildland interface.
Author Notes
Financial support: The research was funded by the
Disclosures: Some authors of this article are employees of the U.S. Government. This work was prepared as part of their official duties. Title 17 U.S.C. §105 provides that “Copyright protection under this Title is not available for any work of the United States Government”. Title 17 U.S.C. §101 defines a U.S. Government work as a work prepared by a military service member or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, nor the U.S. Government. The project and its procedures were reviewed and approved by the ethics committee of the University of Cartagena under protocol number 162.29523.4.7. The project was also reviewed and approved by the health authorities of Cartagena and by the Research Administration Program of the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit South (NAMRU SOUTH) under protocol NHS.2018.0002.
Current contact information: Mashiel Fernández-Ruiz, Eder Cano-Pérez, Jaison Torres-Pacheco, and Doris Gómez-Camargo, Grupo de Investigación UNIMOL & Doctorado en Medicina Tropical, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia, E-mails: mfernandezr1@unicartagena.edu.co, ecanop@unicartagena.edu.co, jtorresp@unicartagena.edu.co, and dmtropical@unicartagena.edu.co. Wilson Ortega-Hernández, Programa de Salud Ambiental, Departamento Administrativo Distrital de Salud (DADIS), Cartagena, Colombia, E-mail: wiortegah@cartagena.gov.co. Maxy B. De Los Santos and Hugo O. Valdivia, Department of Parasitology, United States Naval Medical Research Unit SOUTH, Lima, Perú, E-mails: maxy.b.delossantos2.ln@health.mil and hugo.o.valdivia.ln@health.mil.
| Past two years | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 905 | 905 | 602 |
| Full Text Views | 11 | 11 | 8 |
| PDF Downloads | 13 | 13 | 10 |