Incidence of Human and Free-Ranging Wild Rodent Infections with () , Aetiological Agent of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

BACKGROUND

Human and wild rodent infection rates with () are needed to differentiate transmission pathways in anthropogenically altered habitats.

METHODS

Human participants in northeast Brazil were tested by the leishmanin skin test (LST) and inspected for lesions/scars characteristic of American clinical leishmaniasis (ACL). Molecular (PCR/qPCR) test records of free-ranging rodents were available from a concurrent capture-mark-recapture study. Force of Infection (λ) and recovery (ρ) rates were estimated from cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets.

RESULTS

Cumulative prevalences of human LST+ves and ACL scar+ves were 0.343-0.563 ( = 503 participants) and 0.122-0.475 ( = 503), respectively. Active ACL lesions were not detected. Annual rates of LST conversions were λ = 0.03-0.15 and ρ = 0.02-0.07. The probability of infection was independent of sex and associated with increasing age in addition to the period of exposure. Rodents ( = 596 individuals of 6 species) showed high rates of exclusively asymptomatic infection (λ = 0.222/month) and potential infectiousness to the sand fly vector. Spatially concurrent rodent and household human infection prevalences were correlated.

CONCLUSIONS

Human exposure to () continues to be high despite the substantial drop in reported ACL cases in recent years. Spill-over transmission risk to humans from rodents in peridomestic habitats is likely supported by a rodent infection/transmission corridor linking houses, plantations, and the Atlantic Forest.