[Leishmania (leishmania) mexicana in the village of San Matias, municipality of Gomez Plata, North West of Antioquia, Colombia].

Introduction: Leishmaniasis is found in natural foci of infection where both sand fly vectors and mammalian reservoirs of Leishmania are present.

Objective: To report for the first time the presence of Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana Biagi, 1953, in the village of San Matías, municipality of Gomez Plata, Department of Antioquia.

Materials And Methods: The parasite was isolated from a patient with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis and was identified by the immunofluorescence technique using specific monoclonal antibodies against L. mexicana species and isoenzyme electrophoresis.

Results And Conclusion: The isoenzymatic profiles of the reference strains L. (L.) mexicana (MNCY/BZ/62/M379) and L. (L.) mexicana (MHOM/BE/82/BEL21) were similar to that of the isolate recovered from the patient, allowing us to classify it as L. (L.) mexicana.