Miltefosine susceptibility of isolates of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum from dogs of the municipality of Embu-Guaçu, Brazil

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Leishmania (L.) infantum. In Brazil, the number of cases of the disease has increased in the last years. The treatment of leishmaniasis in Brazil consists of the use of pentavalent antimonials and amphotericin B. Recently, miltefosine has been shown to be highly effective against VL in Asia. Although, this drug is not used in the treatment of VL in Brazil, miltefosine is approved for use in the treatment of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). In this study, we evaluate the susceptibility to miltefosine in vitro of isolates of L. (L.) infantum from dogs of municipality of Embu-Guaçu, located in the metropolitan region of the city of São Paulo.