Clinical Features of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka and Molecular Identification of L. donovani as the Cause

H.V.Y.D. Siriwardana, H.A. Noyes, N.J. Beeching, A.R. Wickremasinghe, M.L. Chance, P.A. Bates, N.D. Karunaweera
2008 International Journal of Infectious Diseases  
Amebiasis cased by infection with Entamoeba histolytica is one of the most problematic parasitic diseases in developing and developed countries. E. histolytica infection is also related to diarrhea in patients with HIV infections and AIDS. However, the prevalence of E. histolytica and E. dispar, which is morphologically indistinguishable from E. histolytica but nonpathogenic, is not well known in China. In the present study, seroprevalence of E. histolytica infection was examined in healthy
more » ... viduals. A total of 1,349 serum samples were obtained in Beijing city, Shanghai city, Guangxi province, Guizhou province, Sichuan province, Qinghai province, and Xinjiang province. Seropositivity to E. histolytica was examined by using three methods; ELISA using crude antigen, ELISA using a recombinant fragment of C terminus of intermediate subunit lectin of E. histolytica (C-Igl), and indirect fluorescentantibody test (IFA). Total positive rates evaluated by these methods were 13.9, 6.3 and 2.1%, respectively. Among the 7 areas, positive rates in Guizhou (37.9% in ELISA using crude antigen, 15.3% in ELISA using C-Igl, and 9.5% in IFA) were significantly higher than those in other areas. On the other hand, no positives were found by IFA in samples from Shanghai. These results demonstrate that prevalence of E. histolytica infections in China seems to be quite different between urban and rural areas. Further epidemiological study in high-prevalent areas is early requisite for the control of amebiasis in China.
doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2008.05.1023 fatcat:th66c764fjejdedslltdeo5moi