Risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis in the rainforest of Bolivia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic disease in Bolivia, particularly in the rainforest of Cochabamba, in the municipality of Villa Tunari. The precarious, dispersed, and poorly accessible settlements in these farming communities make it difficult to study them, and there a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tropical Medicine and Health
Main Authors: Daniel Eid, Miguel Guzman-Rivero, Ernesto Rojas, Isabel Goicolea, Anna-Karin Hurtig, Daniel Illanes, Miguel San Sebastian
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: BMC 2018
Subjects:
American cutaneous leishmaniasis
Risk factors
Epidemiology
Bolivia
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-018-0089-6
https://doaj.org/article/c9a2a602d77a4b1591620a81e1033761
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Summary:Abstract Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic disease in Bolivia, particularly in the rainforest of Cochabamba, in the municipality of Villa Tunari. The precarious, dispersed, and poorly accessible settlements in these farming communities make it difficult to study them, and there are no epidemiological studies in the area. The aim of the present study was to identify the risk factors associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2015 and August 2016 in two communities of Villa Tunari, Cochabamba. The cases were diagnosed through clinical examinations, identification of the parasite by microscopic examination, and the Montenegro skin test. Risk factors were identified through logistic regression. Results A total of 274 participants (40.9% female and 59.1% male) were surveyed, of which 43% were CL positive. Sex was the only factor associated with CL with three times more risk for men than for women; this finding suggests a sylvatic mechanism of transmission in the area. Conclusions It is advisable to focus on education and prevention policies at an early age for activities related to either leisure or work. Further research is needed to assess the influence of gender-associated behavior for the risk of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

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