Epidemiology of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis and Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in the Northwestern Argentina.

. Endemic areas of tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) in Salta, Argentina, present some overlap zones with the geographical distribution of Chagas disease, with mixed infection cases being often detected. . The purpose of this study was to determine the magnitude of sp. infection and potential associated risk factors, the serologic prevalence of and the presence of - sp. mixed infection in a region of the northwest of Argentina. . Cross-sectional studies were conducted to detect TL prevalence and seroprevalence. A case-control study was conducted to examine leishmaniasis risk factors. . Prevalence of TL was 0.17%, seroprevalence of infection was 9.73%, and mixed infection proportion-within the leishmaniasic patients group-was 16.67%. The risk factors associated with TL transmission were sex, age, exposure to bites at work, staying outdoors more than 10 hours/day, bathing in the river, and living with people who had lesions or were infected during the study. . The endemic pattern of TL seems to involve exposure of patients to vectors in wild as well as peridomestic environment. Cases of infection are apparently due to migration. Therefore, a careful epidemiological surveillance is necessary due to the contraindication of antimonial administration to chagasic patients.