Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37308815›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2023

Leishmania species and clinical characteristics of Pacific and Amazon cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ecuador and determinants of health-seeking delay: a cross-sectional study.

Jacob M Bezemer, Byron P Freire-Paspuel, Henk D F H Schallig, Henry J C de Vries, Manuel Calvopiña

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Jacob M BezemerFundación Misión Cristiana de Salud, Hospital Shell, Shell, Pastaza, Ecuador. j.m.bezemer@amsterdamumc.nl.
Byron P Freire-PaspuelLaboratorios de Investigación, Universidad de las Américas, Quito, Ecuador.
Henk D F H SchalligDepartment of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory for Experimental Parasitology, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Henry J C de VriesAmsterdam Institute for infection and Immunity (AII), Infectious Diseases Program, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Manuel CalvopiñaFacultad de Medicina, Universidad de las Américas, OneHealth Research Group, Quito, Ecuador.
Universidad de Las Américas · ECUniversity of Amsterdam · NLFundación Para La Investigación Y Gestión En Servicios de Salud · EC

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) affects up to 5.000 people in Ecuador each year. L. guyanensis and L. braziliensis are the most common of the eight CL-causing Leishmania species. Earlier CL research concentrated on the easily accessible Pacific region. This study aims to describe the Leishmania species in Pacific and Amazon ecoregions, to analyze regional differences in CL patient clinical presentation, and to identify determinants of health-seeking delay.

methodsAll cases in this cross-sectional study were diagnosed using smear slide microscopy, PCR, or both. Cytochrome B gene sequencing was used to identify the causative Leishmania species in qPCR-positive samples.

resultsThis study included 245 patients, with 154 (63%) infected in the Pacific region and 91 (37%) infected in the Amazon. Causative Leishmania species were identified in 135 patients (73% of qPCR positives). L. guyanensis was identified in 76% (102/135) of the samples and L. braziliensis in 19% (26/135). The Pacific region had a low prevalence of 6% (5/89) of L. braziliensis. For the first time, we report L. guyanensis from the central Amazon, L. braziliensis from the northern Pacific, and L. lainsoni from both the central Amazon and northern Pacific. Amazon cases had a longer median health-seeking delay in months (2.0, IQR 3.0) than Pacific cases (1.0, IQR 1.5). Prolonged health-seeking delay was associated with older age, Amerindian ethnicity, infection at lower altitudes, non-ulcerative lesions, and lesions on the lower limbs.

conclusionsIn the Pacific region, health-seeking delay is relatively short and L. braziliensis prevalence remains low. Limited access to health care and stigma might explain the prolonged health-seeking delay in the Amazon. We recommend larger studies on the distribution of Leishmania species in Amazon CL cases and additional regional research into diagnostic test accuracy. Furthermore, the determinants of health-seeking delay in Ecuador should be investigated further.

Indexed as

LeishmaniaLeishmaniasis, CutaneousAltitudeCross-Sectional StudiesEcuadorHumansEcuadorLeishmaniasis, cutaneousLeishmaniasis, epidemiologyPhylogenyTime-to-treatment

Identifiers

PMID37308815
PMCPMC10258766
OpenAlexW4380323972

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.