Changing patterns of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Israel and neighbouring territories

Abstract

The most frequent form of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Israel and the neighbouring territories is due to Leishmania major, which is endemic mainly in the Jordan Valley and in the Rift Valley. CL due to L. tropica is much less common, and in the past only sporadic cases have been reported. In this study we present data obtained during the years 1988-1992 regarding CL in the area. Our clinic has diagnosed a total of 371 leishmaniasis cases, most of whom acquired the infection in the Jordan Valley, mainly during June and July. About one-third of the patients had single lesions, and one-third more than 5 lesions. We also describe an outbreak of leishmaniasis in Kfar Adumim, a village 15 km east of Jerusalem, where leishmaniasis was previously unknown. Parasites were characterized by the polymerase chain reaction and by immunostaining, and found to be both L. tropica and L. major. The localization of the homes of the affected people on a slope where hyraxes were abundant suggests that these animals might have been involved in the transmission of L. tropica in this area.

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“…L. major was the predominant species (75%) that was isolated from all localities in this study and in previous studies [13,14]. CL caused by L. tropica is less common in Jordan as well as in the other endemic neighboring countries [27,28]. L. tropica was mainly isolated from the north, few cases from the central region, and one case in the south.…”

Anthropogenic Disturbances Enhance Occurrence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Israel Deserts: Patterns and Mechanisms

“…), and appear to be preferred burrow-digging sites for the sand rat; of the sand rat burrows in disturbed plots, 64.5% (207 out of 321) were found on artificial dikes. Examples of the effect of human immigration into zoonotic areas are numerous (e.g., Naggan et al 1970, Giladi et al 1985, Klaus et al 1994, Morsy-Tosson et al 1995, Biton et al 1997, and see reviews in Ashford 1999, Oumeish 1999, Saliba and Oumeish 1999, Desjeux 2001. Apart from the aforementioned effect on food quality, we believe that dikes are a preferred burrow site because they may be easier to dig, protected from flooding, and provide a good observation deck for the detection of predators.…”

“…1). From 1990 to 1998 the annual incidence of CL has doubled, from 95 to 199 cases, with the proportion of cases from the Negev and the Arava rising from 10% to 80% (Klaus et al 1994, Anonymous 1999. From 1990 to 1998 the annual incidence of CL has doubled, from 95 to 199 cases, with the proportion of cases from the Negev and the Arava rising from 10% to 80% (Klaus et al 1994, Anonymous 1999.…”

Diversity, ecology, and seasonality of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of the Jenin District (Palestinian Territories)

“…Both forms of leishmaniasis, visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) have become serious public health problems in Palestine. Several studies addressed the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in the Palestinian Territories (Alvarado et al 1989, Klaus et al 1994, Qubain et al 1997, Abdeen et al 2002, Al-Jawabreh et al 2003, Amro et al 2009).…”