A Prospective Study of Visceral Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Area of Brazil

Abstract
The epidemiology, clinical patterns, and risk factors for visceral leishmaniasis were prospectively studied in an endemic area of Brazil. The prevalence of disease was 3.1% for children Leishmania each year and that the ratio of disease to infection was 1:18.5 for the whole area and 1:6.5 for the section with the highest prevalence of disease. Early diagnosis and therapy altered clinical patterns of the disease.