68

disease involving all reticular endothelial cells. We recommend that a patient with suspected visceral leishmaniasis first has a lymph node aspirated. If this fails to reveal parasites, aspiration of the spleen should follow. The invasive procedures described in this report have their limitations and a simple serological test that can be done in the field would be of tremendous value.

Acknowledgements The authors express their gratitude to the Medical

Research Council, Khartoum, Sudan, under whose auspices the study was carried out; to the staff at the Gedaref Civil Hospital, particularly Drs Omer Mekki Mohamed Ahmed, El Dirdiri El Gaily, Al Sammani El Khidir and Osman Karrar; to Dr. Hassan Sherif, National Health Laboratories; and finally to Dr M. H. Sati for extensive discussions and very useful advice.

References Azadeh, B. (1985). “Localized” leishmania lymphadenitis: a

light and electron microscopic study. AmricanJoumal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 34, 447-455.

Ho, E. A., Soong, T. H. & Li, Y. (1948). Comparative merits of sternum, spleen and liver punctures in the

TRANSACTIONS OF THH ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE (1988) 82, 68

jShortReportl

Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis isolated from A kodon arviculoides captured in Caratinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil

M2903 (L. braziliensis braziliensis). The parasites isolated from the rat were identical to reference stock MHOM/BIU75/M2903 for all 10 enzymes examined.

Previous studies on Leishmania isolated in south- eastern Brazil have shown man and domestic dogs to be the commonest vertebrate hosts of L. braziliensis braziliensis (LOPES et al., 1984; FALQUETO et al., 1986). Isolates from rodents have, hitherto, proved to belong to the L. mexicana complex. Thus, LOPES et al. (1984) recorded L. mexicana mexicana from Akodon arviculoides captured in Caratinga, and FAL- QUETO (1984) recorded 2 different strains of the L. mexicanu comnlex from snecimens of Proechimvs iheringi taken in Viana, St&e of Espirito Santo. -

N. M. Magalh5es Rocha’, M. N. Melo’, E. H. BabB’, M. Dias’, M. S. M. Michalick*, C. A. Da Costa3, P. Williams’ and W. Mayrink* ‘Deaartamento De C&&as BiolcSeicas. Instituto de &&as Exatas e Biol&icas, Univ.&d&e Federal de Ouro Preto, 35400 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil; 2Departmento de Parasitologia, Instinct0 de Ci&cias Biol&icas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; 3Faculdade de Farmdcia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil

A strain of Leishmania was isolated in hamsters from apparently normal skin of a specimen of Ahodon arvictdoides captured in Vista Alegre, municipio of Caratinga, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The place of capture of the rat is within the Rio Dote Valley, where both visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis are endemic.

Thin-laver starch-gel electronhoresis was used to determind the mobifiy pattern; of 10 enzymes: GPI (EC 5.3.1.9); G6PDH (EC 1.1.1.49); ALAT (EC 2.6.7.2); ASAT (EC 2.6.1.1.); MDH (EC 1.1.1.37); ME (EC 1.1.1.40); PGM (EC 2.7.5.1); 6PGDH (EC 1.1.1.44); ICD (EC 1.1.1.41); MPI (EC 5.3.1.8). Comparison was made with 5 reference stocks: MHOM/BR/74/M2628 (L. donovani chagasl); MNY/ BZi62lM379 (L. mexicana mexicana); IFLAlBRl67I PH8 (L. mexicana amazonensis); MHOM/BR/70/ Ml176 (L. braziliensis guyanensis); MHOM/BRI75/

study of human visceral leishmaniasis. Transactipns of the Rct;\%ciefy of Tropical Medicine and Hygwne, 41,

Kager, P. A. & Rees, P. H. (1983). Splenic aspiration. Review of the literature. TroPical and Geoeraohical Medicine, 35, 111-124. -

Kager, P. A., Rees, P. H., Manguye, F. M., Bhatt, K. M. & Bhatt, S. M. (1983). Splenic aspiration. Experience in Kenya. Tropical and Geographical Medic+? 35, 125-131.

Kirk, R. & Sati, M. H. (1940). Studies in lelshmaniasis in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. II. The skin and lymph glands in kala-azar. Transactions of the Royal Socie& of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 33, 501-506.

Manson-Bahr, P. E. C. & Heisch, R. B. (1956). Studies in leishmaniasis in East Africa. III. Clinical features and treatment. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 50, 465-471.

Nandy, A. & Chowdhury, A. B. (1984). Lymphadenopathy in Indian kala-azar. Annals of Trot&al Medicine and I’arasitologv, 78, 331-332. _I a

Sati, M. H. (1958). Kala-azar in the Sudan and tropical Africa. Proceedings of the 6th International Congresses on Tropical Medicine and Malaria, September S-13, 1958, III.

Accepted for publication 2 July 1986

The oresent findinn not onlv establishes Akodon ; art&&ides as a nat&zhost of L: braziliensis brazilien- sis in south-eastern Brazil but also shows that this rodent species can serve, in the same general area, as a reservoir for parasites of both the L. braziliensis and L. mexicana complexes.

References Falqueto, A. (1984). Leishmaniose tegmentar em Viana,

Estado do Espiri’to Santa: Investigagcio sobre a infeqdo natural em animais e suu rela@o corn a ocorrti de doeqa humana. Thesis - Universidade Federal do Rio de

Fall!%% Coura J R Barros G C Grimaldi G. F Sessa: P.‘x., Cast’ V:‘D. R., ies& Ii. C. & A&car, j: T. A. (1986). Partic)ipa@o do cio no ciclo de transmisso da leishmaniose tegumentar neo municipio de Viana, Estado do Esntiito Santo, Brasil. Mem&rias do Institute Oswald0 Cr&, 81, 155-163.

Lopes, LJ. G., Momen, H., Grimaldi, G. F., Marzochi, M. C. A., Pacheco, R. S. & Morel? C. M. (1984). Schizodeme characterization of foci of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Joumal of Parasitology, 70, 89-98.

Accepted for publication 13 May 1987

This work was supported financially by Conselho National de Desenvolvimento Cientico e Tecnol6gico (CNPq).