Leishmania equatorensis really in the genus Endotrypanum?

In the original description of Leishmania equatorensis, Grimaldi et. al. (1992) base their results of putting this new species in the genus Leishmania on data collected from their molecular make up.  The team used enzyme electrophoresis, serodeme analysis (which looks at what antibodies bind to the parasite), and schizoeme analysis of k-DNA, which is basically analyzing the kinetoplastid DNA using electrophoresis to determine that this new parasite belongs to the Leishmania braziliensis complex.    

Since the time of the previous study there have been new discoveries surrounding this parasite species.  The study carried out by Katakura et. al. (2003), suggests that Leishmania equatorensis should in fact be placed into the genus Endotrypanum.  Species of Endotrypanum are parasites of sloths, and like Leishmania, are transmitted by sand fly vectors.  In the study by Katakura et. al. (2003) the mini-exon gene from Leishmania equatorensis and species of Endotrypanum were amplified using polymerase chain reaction, and were then electrophoresed for comparison.  The L. equatorensis mini-exon gene was shown to be equal in size to the Endotrypanum mini-exon gene samples.  This study also looked at the sequence of the mini-exon gene, and using phylogenetic analysis showed that the strains of L. equatorensis and Endotrypanum that were used had DNA sequences that were 96-99% identical. 

This newer idea of how to classify Leishmania equatorensis raises many questions about this parasite.  The paper by Katakura et. al. (2003) mentions that there are only two species of Endotrypanum, and suggest that they may be subdivided or reclassified.  This causes me to question whether the genus Endotrypnum and Leishmania are really separate genera or whether they should be combined into the same genus, but considered different species.  Seeing as L. equatorensis is molecularly similar to species in both genera it may make sense to combine the two genera.  Katakura et. al. (2003) also states that species of the genus Endotrypanum only infect sloths.  Does this mean that there should be no concern about this parasite, even though it was determined to act exactly like Leishmania braziliensis in terms of its virulence and development in lab animals as shown by Grimaldi et. al. (1992)?  Could researchers look at and compare other gene sequences in L. equatorensis, Endotrypanum, and other species of Leishmania to see if there are any more similarities that will help determine the phylogeny of what is currently known as Leishmania equatorensis?  It would make sense to compare more gene sequences before suggesting Leishmania equatorensis is most likely to be of the genus Endotrypanum.   

Grimaldi, G., Jr., R.D. Kreutzer, Y. Hashiguchi, E.A. Gomez, T. Mimory, and R.B. Tesh.  1992.  Description of Leishmania equatorensis SP. N. (Kinetoplasida: Trypanosomatidae), a new parasite infecting arboreal mammals in Ecuador.  Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz.  87: 221-228.

Katakura, K., T. Mimori, M. Furuya, H. Uezato, S. Nonaka, M. Okamoto, E. A. Gomez, and Y. Hashiguchi.  2003.  Identification of Endotrypanum species from sloth, a squirrel and Lutzomyia sandflies in Ecuador by PCR amplification and sequencing of the mini-exon gene.  J. Vet. Med. Sci. 65(5): 649-653.