Cutaenous Leishmaniasis In Libya

Abstract

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is wide spread in northwestern of Libya with increasing of incidence in the last years, as well as with appearance of new foci in Tawarga, Sirte, and Zliten, to become also endemic areas, and added to old known endemic areas like Jabal Nafusa. Different clinical manifestations and atypical presentations of skin lesions necessitate more clinical alertness as well as use of laboratory diagnostic procedures. Leishmania major was the main cause of cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Libya, followed by L. tropica, which was less frequent cause in less than one-third of all molecularly investigated patients. Some of main used therapies in Libya were cryotherapy, and intralesional antimony for patients with few and small lesions, although, in some patients; with large number as well as large size of lesions or patients with appearance of lesions at face or ears; made systemic treatment with sodium stibogluconate or meglumine antimoniate more suitable and mandatory treatment. In Libya, low doses of antimony as intramuscular injection were the followed regime that was recommended by national guidelines. Oral rifampicin and isoniazid were also successful alternative systemic therapy when systemic antimony was unsuitable or not effective.