Changing epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in northeastern Brazil: a 25-year follow-up of an urban outbreak.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) continues to be a deadly parasitic disease in Brazil but the epidemiology has changed. The objective of this study was to assess the evolution of urban VL in the city of Natal, Brazil, over the past 25 y.

Methods: A retrospective study of human VL was performed, considering reported cases over the past 25 y in Natal.