Visceral Leishmaniasis in Rural Areas of Alborz Province of Iran and Implication to Health Policy

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar mainly affects children in endemic areas. This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of VL using direct agglutination test (DAT) in children living in rural districts of Alborz Province located 30 km from Tehran capital city of Iran. Multi-stage cluster random sampling was applied. Blood samples were randomly collected from 1,007 children under 10 years of age in the clusters. A total of 37 (3.7%) of the studied population showed anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies with titers of ≥1:800. There was a significant association between positive sera and various parts of the rural areas of Alborz Province (P<0.002). Two children with anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies titers of ≥1:3,200 indicated kala-azar clinical features and treated with anti-leishmaniasis drugs in pediatric hospital. The findings of this study indicated that Leishmania infection is prevalent in rural areas of Alborz Province. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the awareness and alertness among physicians and public health managers, particularly in high-risk rural areas of the province in Iran.

Molecular and Seroepidemiological Survey of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Owned Dogs (Canis familiaris) in New Foci of Rural Areas of Alborz Province, Central Part of Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study in 2017

“…It seems that the climate and geography differences, the level of sand flies' activities and their contact with the reservoirs, and the economic and social conditions, including less livestock farming in Alborz Province, are contributing to the difference in infection levels with the northwest of Iran. In a study on humans in Alborz Province, the rate of human infection with VL was lower than endemic areas of northwest and south of Iran, which is consistent with the rate of infection of dogs (5). In the present study, according to the statistical findings, there was no significant relationship between the age and infection rate of CVL.…”

“…This epidemiological form of leishmaniasis is endemic among some provinces of Iran including Ardebil, East Azarbaijan, Fars and Bushehr (4). The disease foci are expanding in other parts of the country, and cases have been reported in other provinces, including the Alborz Province (5). The most reported cases of VL (98%) were found in the rural area of Iran especially in children under 10 years of age (4,6).…”

Population structures of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tropica the causative agents of kala-azar in Southwest Iran

“…VL occurs sporadically in other regions of Iran (Hamzavi et al 2012) and is emerging in foci in central Iran (Heidari et al 2015). The similarity of sequence haplotypes from different Fig.…”

Paediatric visceral leishmaniasis: a retrospective study on clinical manifestations, demographic features and laboratory findings of hospitalised cases in Iran between 2006 and 2016

“…2,3 This type induced by leishmania infantum generally affects children in endemic areas. 3,4 Located in the capital, Tehran, Mofid Paediatric Hospital is one of the referral hospitals for subspecialty paediatric diseases in the country.…”