Rw. Ashford et al., EVIDENCE FOR A LONG-TERM INCREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF LEISHMANIA-TROPICA IN ALEPPO, SYRIA, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 87(3), 1993, pp. 247-249
Citations number
9
Categorie Soggetti
Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath","Tropical Medicine
We report the results of a short study of the epidemiology of Leishman
ia tropica in the Sheikh Maksoud District of Aleppo, Syria. The presen
t and past status of infection in a community of about 100 000 people
are assessed from prevalence and incidence data obtained by active and
passive case detection, and from a skin test survey. L. tropica has a
pparently been endemic for at least 2-3 human generations in Aleppo, a
nd incidence has increased over the past decade. The current estimated
force of infection is 0.174/year, the incidence is about 5%, and the
average age of infection is 14 years. L. tropica has the essential cha
racteristics of a cyclic infectious disease, and the recent rise in in
cidence could be part of a long period cycle. A survey of leishmanial
scars seriously underestimated the fraction of persons immune, as scar
surveys usually do. We estimate that a passive case registration sche
me, which has been established in response to growing concern about le
ishmaniasis in Aleppo, succeeds in recording and treating about one in
4 cases.