The FTA card (Whatman) was assessed for its utility as a molecular epidemiological tool in collecting
samples from patients with leishmaniasis in Peru because the card has a variety of merits; it is less invasive
for patients and easy to handle for both physicians and other medical personnel for sample collection or
diagnosis, in addition to its simplicity and easy countrywide and/or intercountry transportation for analysis.
Samples were collected from 132 patients suspected of having leishmaniasis, and Leishmania species were
successfully identified in samples from 81 patients in 15 departments of Peru by cytochrome b and mannose
phosphate isomerase gene analyses. Of these, 61.7% were identified as Leishmania (Viannia) peruviana, 22.2%
as L. (V.) braziliensis, 12.3% as L. (V.) guyanensis, 2.5% as L. (V.) shawi, and 1.2% as L. (V.) lainsoni. The three
predominant species, L. (V.) peruviana, L. (V.) braziliensis, and L. (V.) guyanensis, were mainly found in the
Andean highlands, in the tropical rainforest, and in northern and central rainforest regions, respectively. This
is the first time L. (V.) shawi has been identified outside Brazil. The present study showed that the FTA card
will be a useful tool for the ecological study of different forms of leishmaniasis. Furthermore, collecting samples
directly from patients’ lesions by using the FTA card eliminates (i) the possibility of contamination of
Leishmania isolates during short- and/or long-term passages of culture in vitro in each laboratory and (ii) pain
and suffering of patients from taking samples by skin biopsy.