Dj. Fryauff et al., EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS AT A FOCUS MONITORED BY THE MULTINATIONAL FORCE AND OBSERVERS IN THE NORTHEASTERN SINAI DESERT OF EGYPT, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 49(5), 1993, pp. 598-607
Citations number
28
Categorie Soggetti
Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath","Tropical Medicine
A longitudinal epidemiologic study of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) tra
nsmission was conducted between July 1989 and June 1991 in a 1,200-km2
sector of the northeastern Sinai Desert monitored by the Multinationa
l Force and Observers (MFO), an international peace keeping mission be
tween Egypt and Israel. The occurrence of human cases, sand fly densit
y, rodent collection, and isolations of Leishmania confirmed only one
of four surveyed locations as a significant focus of CL transmission.
Phlebotomus papatasi, the only anthropophilic sand fly species encount
ered at this focus, comprised more than 96% of the sand fly population
and attained human landing densities exceeding 100 sand flies/person/
hr during 1990. Seasonal activity of this species ranged from April to
November, with highest densities occurring during the period May-Sept
ember. A peak promastigote infection rate of 2.4% (13 of 534) was obse
rved in P. papatasi during July 1990. Twelve of the 60 (20%) persons a
t risk during the six months of intense sand fly activity at this site
developed lesions consistent with CL; L. major was isolated from nine
(75%) of these cases. Leishmania major infection was acquired by two
of 22 (9%) sentinel hamsters used during the same period. More than 97
% of the 897 wild rodents trapped at this site were desert gerbil spec
ies. Leishmania major was the only Leishmania isolated from human, san
d fly, wild rodent (Gerbillus pyramidum), and sentinel hamster infecti
ons that originated at site Check point 1-Delta, the focus of CL trans
mission within jurisdiction of the MFO. The altered ecology of this ar
ea, created by construction of a dam, may contribute significantly to
the transmission dynamics of CL at this focus.