Visceral Leishmaniasis in Bolivia: Current Status

Area of Science:

• Tropical medicine
• Epidemiology
• Public health

Background:

• Limited historical data on visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Bolivia before 1982 hindered understanding of its distribution.
• The temporospatial occurrence of VL by ecoregions, provinces, and departments in Bolivia was previously undescribed.
• Assessing VL's public health impact, outbreak risk, and dispersion required updated epidemiological data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the temporospatial occurrence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Bolivia.
• To evaluate the impact of VL on public health, outbreak risk, and dispersion across ecoregions.
• To update the understanding of VL epidemiology in Bolivia.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective literature review and analysis of online data, libraries, and institutional reports from 1939 to the present.
• Compilation of reported visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases in Bolivia.
• Identification and comparison of parasites from human, canine, and vector populations in endemic areas.

Main Results:

• 56 cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) reported in Bolivia.
• VL endemic areas expanded from three to seven departments between 2014 and 2015.
• VL cases were identified in 12 ecoregions across the Amazon and Plata basins.

Conclusions:

• Dogs are confirmed as the primary reservoir for visceral leishmaniasis (VL).
• Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector, now dispersed in six departments.
• Migonemyia migonei and Lutzomyia cruzi are identified as primary vectors in areas lacking L. longipalpis.