Studies on New World leishmaniasis and its transmission

在厄瓜多尔，从1986年至今开展了一个利什曼病项目，题为“关于新世界利什曼病及其传播，特别是向厄瓜多尔传播的研究”。在研究期间，积累了大量的信息，所获得的结果已被用于该国的公共卫生管理。在本研究期间，从1996年至1997年，流行病学和临床资料收集，除了皮肤利什曼病患者的诊断和治疗。关于病人，媒介白蛉和水库主机的利什曼原虫分离株，他们的特点是使用不同类型的技术，如核型分析，ELISA等的基础上获得的结果，已经做了试验，以描绘厄瓜多尔利什曼原虫属的每种的地理分布。同时对厄瓜多尔不同流行区的寄生虫和白蛉进行了DNA序列测定，以供分类和流行病学应用。还在实验感染CL（皮肤利什曼病）和DCL（弥漫性皮肤利什曼病）来源的利什曼原虫寄生虫的动物中进行了电子显微镜下的病理学观察。为了获得更敏感、特异的诊断方法，将不同引物的PCR方法与传统的涂片、培养等方法进行比较，并对厄瓜多尔太平洋沿岸地区的几个流行区进行临床流行病学调查，同时对皮肤利什曼病与其他皮肤病进行鉴别诊断。

In Ecuador, a leishmaniasis project entitled "Studies on New World leishmaniasis and its transmission, with particular refernce to Ecuador" has been carried out from 1986 to date. During the research term, a considerable information has been accumulated and the result obtained has been used for the public health administration in that country. In the present research period from 1996 to 1997, epidemiological and clinical data were collected, in addition to diagnosis and treatment of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis. Regarding to Leishmania isolates from patients, vector sandflies and reservoir hosts, they were characterized by using different types of techniques, such as karyotype analysis, ELISA and etc. Based on the results obtained, a trial has been done to depict the geographical distribution of each species of the genus Leishmania in Ecuador. DNA sequencings of the parasites and sandflies were also made using materials collected in different endemic areas of Ecuador for the purpose of their classification and epidemiological appllication. Pathological observations were also made electon-microscopically in animals infected experimentally with Leishmania parasites from CL (cutaneous leishmaniasis) and DCL (diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis) origin. In order to get more sensitive and specific method for diagnosis of the disease, PCR using different primers was compared with traditionally-used techniques, such as smears, cultures and others.A clinico-epidemiological survey was performed in several endemic areas located at the Pacific Coastal regions of Ecuador, in addition to differential diagnosis between cutaneous leishmaniasis and other skin diseases.