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Review
. 2023 Sep 1;117(9):609-616.
doi: 10.1093/trstmh/trad024.

A neglected among the neglected: a review of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Guatemala

Yaimie Lopez  1   2 , Byron Arana  1 , Nidia Rizzo  1 , Erick Duran  3 , Álvaro Acosta-Serrano  2 , Renata Mendizabal-Cabrera  1
Affiliations
Review

A neglected among the neglected: a review of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Guatemala

Yaimie Lopez et al. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. .

Abstract

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic vector-borne disease affecting mostly low- and middle-income countries. CL is endemic in Guatemala, where an increase in the number of cases and incidence and a changing disease distribution in the past decade have been reported. Important research was conducted in Guatemala in the 1980s and 1990s to understand the epidemiology of CL and two Leishmania species were identified as the aetiologic agents. Several species of sand flies have been reported, five of which are naturally infected with Leishmania. Clinical trials conducted in the country evaluated different treatments against the disease and provided solid evidence for CL control strategies that are applicable worldwide. More recently, in the 2000s and 2010s, qualitative surveys were conducted to understand community perceptions of the disease and to highlight the challenges and enablers for disease control. However, limited recent data have been generated regarding the current CL situation in Guatemala, and key information necessary for effective disease control, such as incrimination of vectors and reservoirs, is still lacking. This review describes the current state of knowledge of CL in Guatemala, including the main parasite and sand fly species, disease reservoirs, diagnosis and control, as well as the perceptions of communities in endemic regions.

Keywords: Leishmania; Guatemala; cutaneous leishmaniasis; epidemiology; sand fly.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Map of Guatemala highlighting (in grey) the regions (Alta Verapaz and Petén) where 90% of cases of CL were reported from 2001 to 2021, according to the Guatemalan MoH.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Number of cases of CL and VL in Guatemala reported by the Guatemalan MoH from 2001 to 2021.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Schematic showing the geographic distribution of sand fly species in Guatemala and the areas where CL was reported in 2015–2018. Dark grey represents the two regions where 3093 cases (93%) were reported, medium grey represents where 2–34 cases were reported and light grey represents where 1 case was reported.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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