[knowledge level about of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) and use of alternative therapies in an endemic area in the Amazon Region in the State of Maranhão, Brazil].

The level of knowledge concerning American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) and use of alternative therapies was evaluated in five rural communities in Buriticupu, Maranhão State, Brazil. The study lasted from September 1997 to January 1998. Local inhabitants answered an interview on housing conditions, epidemiological aspects, prevention, standard clinical treatment, and alternative therapies. The study population was 378 (19%) out of a total of 1,980 inhabitants, from Sexta Vicinal (35), Quinta Vicinal (63), Trilha 410 (96), Vila União (85), and Buritizinho (99). Of the interviewees, 72% had little knowledge of ATL transmission, 96% had heard something about the disease from friends, and 60.7% knew ATL by the local term "lésh". Glucantime was the most familiar drug for treatment, while 29.6% referred to use of herbal remedies on the ulcers. Citrus limon (lemon) was the plant most frequently used, and 15.4% of the interviewees used it as a powder spread on the wound. We conclude that the population had little correct knowledge of ATL in the five areas studied, especially with regard to prevention and treatment.