Miltefosine activity in vitro against isolates of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum from dogs of the municipality of Embu-Guaçu

Resumo

Visceral leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan parasite L. (L.) infantum. The disease is the most severe clinical form of leishmaniasis that can lead to death if it is not treated. In Brazil, about 3,000 new cases of the disease are reported annually, with an increasing number of cases in urban and periurban areas. Since VL is zoonotic in Brazil, domestic dogs constitute the main reservoir for the parasite, playing an essential role in transmission of disease to humans. The treatment of VL in Brazil consists in the use of pentavalent antimonials and amphotericin B, drugs that are considered expensive, toxic and that require parenteral administration. In CVL, the only drug used for treatment is MF, a drug already used in the treatment of VL in Southeast Asia. In this study, we aim to evaluate the susceptibility to MF in vitro of isolates of L. (L.) infantum from dogs of the municipality of Embu-Guaçu. Considering the potential of MF be used in the chemotherapy of VL in the near future, it is urgent to investigate the susceptibility of L. (L.) infantum from dogs that are potential reservoirs of the disease in Brazilian endemic regions.