Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine et Pharmacie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, BP 5005 Dakar Fann, Dakar, Senegal.
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Jun;105(6):333-40. doi: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2011.02.009. Epub 2011 May 4.
Whereas Leishmania infantum, the agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), is well known in North Africa, very limited data exist on its spread in West Africa, where mainly cutaneous leishmaniasis has been widely reported. Nevertheless, dogs infected with L. infantum were recently found in the Mont Rolland District in Senegal. To provide a better understanding of L. infantum epidemiology in this area, clinical and serological surveys were carried out to determine the seroprevalence of L. infantum-specific antibodies in the human population. In parallel, an analysis of environmental and individual factors associated with Leishmania antigen seropositivity was conducted to identify potential risk factors for exposure. Although no cases of VL were detected within this study, a large part of the population (73/315; 23%) was exposed to infection, with a strong age effect (being >40 years old increased the risk of being seropositive). Moreover, the presence of Nebedaye trees (Moringa oleifera) and infected dogs in the household were factors increasing the risk of exposure in household members. These results may provide important information to identify the still unknown sandfly species involved in transmission.
内脏利什曼病（VL）的病原体——婴儿利什曼原虫在北非广为人知，但其在西非的传播情况却知之甚少，因为那里主要报告的是皮肤利什曼病。然而，最近在塞内加尔的蒙罗朗德区发现了感染婴儿利什曼原虫的狗。为了更好地了解该地区婴儿利什曼原虫的流行病学，进行了临床和血清学调查，以确定人体对婴儿利什曼原虫特异性抗体的血清流行率。同时，对与利什曼抗原血清阳性相关的环境和个体因素进行了分析，以确定潜在的暴露风险因素。尽管在本研究中未发现内脏利什曼病病例，但很大一部分人群（315 人中的 73 人，23%）受到感染，且年龄影响较大（40 岁以上人群呈阳性的风险增加）。此外，家庭中存在 Nebedaye 树（辣木）和感染的狗是增加家庭成员暴露风险的因素。这些结果可能为确定参与传播的未知沙蝇物种提供重要信息。
