[Leish-l] Leishmaniasis - Iraq (MA)

[fred opperdoes]

> Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 18:05:14 -0400 (EDT)
> From: ProMED-mail <promed at promed.isid.harvard.edu>
> Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Iraq (MA)
>
> LEISHMANIASIS - IRAQ (MAYSAN)
> ******************************
> A ProMED-mail post
> <http://www.promedmail.org>
> ProMED-mail is a program of the
> International Society for Infectious Diseases
> <http://www.isid.org>
>
> Date: 21 May 2009
> Source: Alertnet citing IRIN [edited]
> <http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/c05322ce32b8560c7e9371f1fd1e0598.htm 
> >
>
>
> Nearly 200 cases of leishmaniasis have been registered in the
> southern province of Missan [Maysan], about 350 km south of Baghdad,
> a local health official said on 19 May 2009. "So far, we have
> registered 190 cases of leishmaniasis in different parts of the
> province, both in urban and rural areas and among different age
> groups," Zamil Shia, the provincial health chief, told IRIN. Shia
> said the epidemic was manageable at present and teams were monitoring
> affected areas.
>
> Leishmaniasis is also known as Baghdad boil, oriental sore, Aleppo
> button, Jericho boil and Delhi boil. In its most unpleasant form --
> visceral leishmaniasis -- organ failure and death can result. It is
> transmitted by the bite of the female sandfly. Dogs and other animals
> can act as a source of infection to humans. Rodents, especially
> certain species of rodent, are considered the main carriers.
>
> Shia said people in affected areas tended to sleep in the open and in
> places with poor sanitation.
>
> According to the World Health Organization, the 20 or so infective
> species or subspecies of the leishmaniasis parasite cause a range of
> symptoms like fever, malaise, weight loss and anaemia, as well as --
> in its visceral form -- swelling of the spleen, liver and lymph
> nodes. Cutaneous leishmaniasis -- the most common form -- causes
> 1-200 simple skin lesions which self-heal within a few months but
> which leave unsightly scars. The disease's incubation period is up to
> 6 months, so doctors say thousands could have the disease without  
> knowing it.
>
> - --
> Communicated by:
> ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
>
> [Leishmaniasis is widespread in Iraq, and ProMED reported
> leishmaniasis from the southern province in May 2008 (see below).
> Leishmania is transmitted by sandflies, and small rodents serve as
> reservoirs. Control measures are vector and rodent control. Please
> refer to the WHO statement concerning visceral leishmaniasis in Iraq,
> published in ProMED-mail (Leishmaniasis - Iraq: comments  
> 20030602.1348).
>
> Map of Maysan province: <http://healthmap.org/r/00cP>. - Mod.EP]
>
> [see also:
> Leishmaniasis - Iraq: (Qadisiyah) 20080219.0674
> 2005
> - ----
> Leishmaniasis - Iraq (Baqubah) 20050406.0989
> Leishmaniasis - Iraq: (Qadisiyah) 20080219.0674
> 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/msp/mpp
>
> ------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lineu.icb.usp.br/pipermail/leish-l/attachments/20090522/00c4b81b/attachment.html