TY - JOUR
T1 - Diversity and geographical distribution of Leishmania species and the emergence of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum and L. (Viannia) panamensis in Central-Western Venezuela
AU - Delgado-Noguera, Lourdes A.
AU - Hernández-Pereira, Carlos E.
AU - Castillo-Castañeda, Adriana C.
AU - Patiño, Luz Helena
AU - Castañeda, Sergio
AU - Herrera, Giovanny
AU - Mogollón, Euler
AU - Muñoz, Marina
AU - Duran, Alexander
AU - Loyo, Doris
AU - Pacheco, Mirna
AU - Arena, Luzmir
AU - Isquiel, Glenis
AU - Yepez, Lisbeth
AU - Colmenarez, Beatriz
AU - Caviedes, Mayeli
AU - Mendez, Yamilet
AU - Herrera, Sandry
AU - Ramírez, Juan David
AU - Paniz-Mondolfi, Alberto E.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Dirección de Investigación e Innovación from Universidad del Rosario. This work was supported by the University of Glasgow, Scottish Funding Council and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and GCRF Research Network EP/T003782/1 under the Vector Borne Disease Control Network - Venezuela (VeConVen).
Funding Information:
We thank Dirección de Investigación e Innovación from Universidad del Rosario. This work was supported by the University of Glasgow, Scottish Funding Council and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and GCRF Research Network EP/T003782/1 under the Vector Borne Disease Control Network - Venezuela (VeConVen).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - Transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Venezuela reveals diverse and changing epidemiological landscapes, as well as a spectrum of clinical phenotypes presumed to be linked to a variety of Leishmania species. Central-western Venezuela constitutes one of the highest endemic epicenters in the country, and updated molecular epidemiological information is still lacking. Therefore, in this study we aimed to characterize the landscape of circulating Leishmania species across central-western Venezuela through the last two decades, performed comparisons of haplotype and nucleotide diversity, and built a geospatial map of parasite species distribution. A total of 120 clinical samples were collected from patients across the cutaneous disease spectrum, retrieving parasitic DNA, and further characterizing by PCR and sequencing of the HSP70 gene fragment. This data was later collated with further genetic, geospatial and epidemiological analyses. A peculiar pattern of species occurrence including Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis (77.63% N=59), Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum (14.47% N=11), Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis (5.26% N=4) and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis (2.63% N=2) was revealed, also highlighting a very low genetic diversity amongst all analyzed sequences. Geographical distribution showed that most cases are widely distributed across the greater urban-sub urban area of the Irribaren municipality. L.(L.) amazonensis appears to be widely dispersed throughout Lara state. Statistical analyses failed to reveal significance for any comparisons, leading to conclude a lack of association between the infective Leishmania species and clinical phenotypes. To the best of our knowledge, this is an unprecedented study which addresses comprehensively the geographical distribution of Leishmania species in central-western Venezuela throughout the last two decades, and the first to incriminate L. (L.) infantum as an etiologic agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in this region. Our findings support that Leishmania endemism in central-western Venezuela is caused mainly by L.(L.) amazonensis. Future studies are needed to unveil additional details on the ecological intricacies and transmission aspects of leishmaniasis (i.e. sampling phlebotomines and mammals) and to adopt adequate public health prevention and control strategies and mitigate disease impact in this endemic region.
AB - Transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Venezuela reveals diverse and changing epidemiological landscapes, as well as a spectrum of clinical phenotypes presumed to be linked to a variety of Leishmania species. Central-western Venezuela constitutes one of the highest endemic epicenters in the country, and updated molecular epidemiological information is still lacking. Therefore, in this study we aimed to characterize the landscape of circulating Leishmania species across central-western Venezuela through the last two decades, performed comparisons of haplotype and nucleotide diversity, and built a geospatial map of parasite species distribution. A total of 120 clinical samples were collected from patients across the cutaneous disease spectrum, retrieving parasitic DNA, and further characterizing by PCR and sequencing of the HSP70 gene fragment. This data was later collated with further genetic, geospatial and epidemiological analyses. A peculiar pattern of species occurrence including Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis (77.63% N=59), Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum (14.47% N=11), Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis (5.26% N=4) and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis (2.63% N=2) was revealed, also highlighting a very low genetic diversity amongst all analyzed sequences. Geographical distribution showed that most cases are widely distributed across the greater urban-sub urban area of the Irribaren municipality. L.(L.) amazonensis appears to be widely dispersed throughout Lara state. Statistical analyses failed to reveal significance for any comparisons, leading to conclude a lack of association between the infective Leishmania species and clinical phenotypes. To the best of our knowledge, this is an unprecedented study which addresses comprehensively the geographical distribution of Leishmania species in central-western Venezuela throughout the last two decades, and the first to incriminate L. (L.) infantum as an etiologic agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in this region. Our findings support that Leishmania endemism in central-western Venezuela is caused mainly by L.(L.) amazonensis. Future studies are needed to unveil additional details on the ecological intricacies and transmission aspects of leishmaniasis (i.e. sampling phlebotomines and mammals) and to adopt adequate public health prevention and control strategies and mitigate disease impact in this endemic region.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85150900339&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106901
DO - 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106901
M3 - Research Article
C2 - 36940857
AN - SCOPUS:85150900339
SN - 0001-706X
VL - 242
JO - Acta Tropica
JF - Acta Tropica
M1 - 106901
ER -
