Analysis of the case records of 729 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis collected from January 1972 to December 1982 permitted the authors to study the geographical distribution of this infection in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Cases were found in 36 of the 53 counties of this State, the counties of Viana and Cariacica being the ones with greatest incidence of the disease. The cases observed in these two counties totalled 441 (60,47%) with 258 patients living in a few contiguous small villages in the endemic region. The transmission probably occurred inside and outside the house. From this highly endemic area in the valley ofthe Formate ri ver disease has already spreaded up to Domingos Martins county through the village of Biriricas. In the other regions cutaneous leishmaniasis was characterised as a longstanding disease in the State.
American cutaneous leishmaniasis; Geographic distribution