Abstract
Background and aims: Leishmaniasis is one of the most overlooked diseases in tropical areas, which can lead to many deaths and illnesses. The present study was designed to determine the trend of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the south of Fars Province (south of Iran) during 2007-2016. Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of all people with cutaneous leishmaniasis referring to the Center for Infectious Diseases in Larestan, Gerash, Evaz, and Khonj in the south of Fars Province during 2007-2016. The incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis was analyzed using the Cochrane-Armitage trend test, and the significance level was considered 5%. Results: In general, 4602 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were reported from 2007 to 2016. The highest and lowest incidence rates (659.1 versus 88. 3 per 100000 people) were observed in 2008 and 2012, respectively. In addition, the incidence of the disease significantly reduced (P Trend=0.003). Finally, the 0-4 age group had the highest incidence of the disease (69.64 per 100000 people), and the hands were the most common organ affected by cutaneous leishmaniasis (37%). Conclusion: According to the research findings, the incidence rate of cutaneous leishmaniasis is declining although leishmaniasis is still one of the endemic diseases in the region. Therefore, preventive and controlling interventional programs can be effective in reducing new cases of the disease, including the education of individuals, especially children, environmental cleanup, and extermination and control of stray dogs and rodents in the suburbs.
Highlights
Today, it is known that cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by more than 22 different species of Leishmania, the prevalence of which can vary from a region to another.[1,2] Two species of Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major in the Middle East are the most common causes of cutaneous leishmaniasis.[3]
The results of the present study revealed that a total of 4602 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis was reported in Larestan in 2007-2016
The results of the CochraneArmitage trend test in the present study demonstrated that the highest incidence rate of cutaneous leishmaniasis was in the age groups of 0-4 and 5-9 years, respectively, which is in line with the results of Moghateli et al and Jorjani et al.[16,29]
Summary
It is known that cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by more than 22 different species of Leishmania, the prevalence of which can vary from a region to another.[1,2] Two species of Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major in the Middle East are the most common causes of cutaneous leishmaniasis.[3]. Leishmaniasis is endemic in many parts of the world, and this has raised health and economic concerns worldwide.[6,7] leishmaniasis remains one of the most overlooked diseases in tropical areas that can lead to many deaths and illnesses.[8] In addition, the disease affects most poor people and is associated with malnutrition, unsafe housing, poor immune systems, and population displacement.[6,9] Some studies have reported an increase in the prevalence of this disease due to various factors such as environmental conditions, socio-economic status, demographic features, and human behaviors.[7,10] The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 350 million people worldwide are at the risk for infection,[11,12] and about 2 million people are diagnosed with leishmaniasis each year.[12] The cutaneous and visceral form of leishmaniasis has been mainly reported in 14 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region,[13] including Iran.[14] There are two forms of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran, including anthroponotic and zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis, which are known as urban (dry) and rural (wet) types, respectively.
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