An endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the State of S. Paulo, Brazil, is described. Clinical aspects of human cases showed few lesions with slow evolution and few parasites. From investigations on natural infections of local sylvatic mammals by skin cultures technique ensued three strains isolations from Akodon arviculoides and Oryzomys nigripes rodents. Two of these showed to infect hamsters experimentally, but with discrete cutaneous manifestations and few parasites. This aspect seems to be alike the behaviour of "slow" strain, who was included in the possibility of the mucocutaneous leishmaniasis etiology. The presence of sylvatic enzootic forms of the disease is concluded.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis reservoirs; Akdon arviculoides; Oryzomys nigripes; Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis; Sylvatic enzootic forms of cutaneous leishmaniasis; Endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis; "Slow" strain in mucocutaneous leishmaniasis etiology
