Abstract

MENDEZ-BEJARANO, Claudia P. et al. Parasitic load of Leishmania spp. in Colombian military personnel with cutaneous leishmaniasis: a case study. Rev. Cient. Gen. José María Córdova [online]. 2020, vol.18, n.29, pp.237-266.  Epub Aug 28, 2020. ISSN 1900-6586.  https://doi.org/10.21830/19006586.515.

Military operations occurring in areas where Leishmania spp. is endemic continually expose the military personnel of the Colombian National Army to contracting leishmaniasis. Medical treatments for this disease represent high costs in military logistics. The objective of this study was to quantify the parasitic load of Leishmania spp. in patients diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis, using real-time PCR kDNA minicircle amplification. Also, to identify the specific species using PCR amplification and sequencing of the HSP70 and MPI molecular markers to monitor and determine the effectiveness of meglumine antimoniate versus pentamidine isethionate treatment, and its relation to other clinical-epidemiological data. In addition to demonstrating the efficacy of treatments and their characteristics, the risk of future outbreaks of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis was identified in certain cases, and a multifactorial explanation of the differences found between clinical-epidemiological variables was noted.

Keywords : armed forces; Leishmania spp.; National Army of Colombia; parasitology; qPCR.

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