[Leish-l] FW: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Iraq: (Qadisiyah)

[jeffrey shaw]

Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:01:29 -0300
From: marizashaw at gmail.com
To: jayusp at hotmail.com
Subject: Fwd: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Iraq: (Qadisiyah)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ProMED-mail <promed at promed.isid.harvard.edu>
Date: 19/02/2008 23:06

Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Iraq: (Qadisiyah)
To: promed-ahead-edr at promedmail.org

LEISHMANIASIS - IRAQ: (QADISIYAH)
*********************************

A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases

Date: Tue 19 Feb 2008
Source: IRIN (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks) [edited]

<http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76808>


Leishmaniasis continues to spread in southern province
------------------------------------------------------

Leishmaniasis continues to spread in Iraq's southern province of
Qadisiyah, about 130 km (81 mi) south of Baghdad, with at least 275
cases so far, a local official said.

The figure of 275 comprises 212 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis,

also known as Baghdad boil disease, and 63 cases of visceral
leishmaniasis, or 'kalaazar', Hindi for black fever, said Mohammed
Sahib, a dermatologist at Qadisiyah General Hospital.

"Cutaneous leishmaniasis is not fatal, but can cause up to 200 facial

lesions and crater-shaped sores, leaving patients seriously
disfigured. Kalaazar can kill, and causes fever, weight loss,
anaemia, and swelling of the spleen and liver," Sahib said.

Children are particularly at risk because they typically have weaker

immune systems than adults, he said. A single sand fly bite can be
enough to transmit the disease.

Local health authorities were still suffering from a shortage of
medicines to treat the disease, he said: "The medicines are not

enough, as the disease is spreading and in addition to medical
treatment there should be insecticide spraying campaigns to kill the
sand flies."

Faqid Abdul-Hadi of the Baghdad health directorate said overcrowded

living conditions in southern Iraq, where it is difficult to access
clean water, and plenty of stagnant pools of water in which flies can
breed, had hampered progress against the disease.

He said leishmaniasis cases had dropped substantially since 2004, but

progress eliminating the disease had been slow.

"Though the disease was first identified in Iraq more than a century
ago and has long been present in the country, outbreaks were rare
before 2003. But since the conflict began, the destroyed health

system has allowed [microorganisms] lurking in the environment to
return," Abdul-Hadi said. The peak transmission season for
leishmaniasis typically begins in May, he said.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail

<promed at promedmail.org>

[Leishmaniasis is widespread in Iraq, but mostly as cutaneous
leishmaniasis. Please refer to the WHO statement concerning visceral
leishmaniasis in Iraq, published in ProMED-mail (Leishmaniasis -

Iraq: comments 20030602.1348). We will be happy to receive further
information on the situation. - Mod.EP]

[The source URL contains a map of Iraq highlighting Qadisiyah
province. - CopyEd.MJ]

[see also:

2005
----
Leishmaniasis - Iraq (Baqubah) 20050406.0989
2004
----
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: U.S. Military (04) 20040419.1091
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: U.S. Military (03) 20040402.0895
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: U.S. Military (02): comment 20040316.0729

Leishmaniasis - Iraq: U.S. Military 20040313.0696
2003
----
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: U.S. military 20031210.3026
Leishmaniasis - Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan: military 20031024.2669
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: comments 20030602.1348

Leishmaniasis - Iraq: RFI 20030531.1331
2001
----
Leishmaniasis, suspected - Iraq 20010917.2245]
...................................ep/mj/mpp

*##########################################################*

************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to  verify  the reports  that
are  posted,  but  the  accuracy  and  completeness  of  the
information,   and  of  any  statements  or  opinions  based

thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by  ProMED-mail.   ISID
and  its  associated  service  providers  shall not be  held
responsible for errors or omissions or  held liable for  any

damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon  posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Become     a    ProMED-mail    Premium     Subscriber     at
<http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Premium.shtml>

************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.
Send  all  items  for   posting  to:   promed at promedmail.org

(NOT to  an  individual moderator).  If you do not give your
full name and  affiliation, it  may  not  be  posted.   Send
commands  to  subscribe/unsubscribe,   get  archives,  help,
etc. to: majordomo at promedmail.org.    For assistance  from a

human  being  send  mail  to:   owner-promed at promedmail.org.
############################################################
############################################################

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lineu.icb.usp.br/pipermail/leish-l/attachments/20080221/cb537a9d/attachment.htm