Epidemiological Study of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Factors Affecting It in South Khorasan Province, 1391-1395 (2012-2016)

Introduction Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by a number of Leishmania species which is manifested in two forms: cutaneous (cutaneous or CL) and visceral (Kala-azar). The disease is transmitted by the bite of the infected sand flies. The present study aimed at analyzing the epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis and the factors affecting it over the time period from 2012-2016 in South Khorasan Province.
Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted through a descriptive methodology. The subjects included patients diagnosed with CL and treated between 2012-2016. The collected data were statistically analyzed using SPSS v. 21.
Results The average age of the patients was 75.17 ± 89.26. Each patient had approximately 2 lesions on average, with a mean size of 59.1 ± 12.2 [mm]. About 62% of the subjects (263 people) were male. The most frequent cases were observed in 2015 and the least ones occurred during 2014, respectively. Only 3 cases were Afghan citizens while the remaining were Iranians. Patients’ residences were almost evenly distributed.
Discussion and Conclusions The results showed that there has been no decrease in the number of patients over the last few years in South Khorasan. Considering the relatively high incidence of CL in the province and its rising trend, more attention should be paid to educational programs and preventive measures.