A focus of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in Três Braços, Bahia, Brazil: characterization and identification of Leishmania stocks isolated from man and dogs.

The characterization and identification to species and subspecies of 20 stocks of Leishmania isolated from the region of Três Braços, Bahia, Brazil, are described: 17 stocks were from patients and three from dogs. The following techniques were used (i) biological (growth in culture, hamster tissues and phlebotomine gut), (ii) biochemical (isoenzyme and kinetoplast DNA analysis) and (iii) immunological (using monoclonal antibodies). All except two stocks belong to the L. braziliensis complex. One of these two corresponded to L. mexicana amazonensis but the other, while clearly in the mexicana complex, showed slight differences from the L. mexicana amazonensis reference strain on isoenzyme analysis. Two stocks from different lesions in the same patient and with different growth characteristics in hamster tissues were both identified as L. braziliensis braziliensis. All the fully characterized stocks of the L. braziliensis complex were identified as L. braziliensis braziliensis. L. braziliensis guyanensis was not identified. Dog and human stocks of L. braziliensis braziliensis were indistinguishable. From these findings and other evidence, L. braziliensis braziliensis seems to be the predominant species transmitted in Três Braços.