Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Jarqavieh, Isfahan, 2014-2017

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is one of the most frequent and most common native diseases in Iran and is ranked second in spreadable parasitic diseases after Malaria. The cases of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis have increased in Isfahan province, and in the recent years, a lot of cases have been reported by the Central Hospital Laboratory of Jarqavieh, Isfahan. Due to the geographical location of Jarqavieh and its adjacency with Gavkhouny swamp, a research was done with the aim of investigating the prevalence of leishmaniasis in the place for a period of three years. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The data was collected from March 21, 2014 to the end of March 2017. Sampling was done in a convenient way by referring to the laboratory of Imam Khomeini Central Hospital of Jarqavieh, Isfahan and detecting suspicious patients among 24 urban and rural areas of Jarqavieh. The lesions of all suspected individuals were sampled and stained in six steps. At the end of the study, the collected data and the obtained statistics were analyzed by using the Excel software, version 2013. Data analysis showed that the highest number of positive cases was in the years 2014 and 2015. Meanwhile, men account for the most in all three years. The highest frequency of infection was observed among the age group 10 - 19 years (26.4%) in 2014 and among the age group 1 - 9 years in 2015 (33.3%) and 2016 (31.1%). Among the patients diagnosed during these three years in succession, the largest population lived in the cities. Regarding the location of the lesion, each year, the most lesions were in the hands (38.6% in 2014, 30.3% in 2015, and 23.8% in 2016). Based on the obtained results, it is suggested that the cleaning of the localities from the waste be carried out more carefully and the animal reservoirs related to this disease should be identified in each city and village and combated with appropriate methods. A better understanding of the vector and agent of the disease and its reservoirs helps prevent, control and treat Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Jarqavieh, Isfahan.