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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'><br><br><div><div id="SkyDrivePlaceholder"></div><hr id="stopSpelling">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br><div class="ecxgmail_quote">From: <b class="ecxgmail_sendername">ProMED-mail</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu">promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu</a>></span><br>
Date: 2013/3/28<br>Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Syria (02)<br>To: <a href="mailto:promed-ahead-edr@promedmail.org">promed-ahead-edr@promedmail.org</a><br><br><br>LEISHMANIASIS - SYRIA (02)<br>
**************************<br>
A ProMED-mail post<br>
<<a href="http://www.promedmail.org" target="_blank">http://www.promedmail.org</a>><br>
ProMED-mail is a program of the<br>
International Society for Infectious Diseases<br>
<<a href="http://www.isid.org" target="_blank">http://www.isid.org</a>><br>
<br>
Date: Thu 28 Mar 2013<br>
Source: Today's Zaman [edited]<br>
<<a href="http://www.todayszaman.com/news-310925-leishmaniasis-outbreak-rings-alarm-bells-at-turkish-syrian-border.html" target="_blank">http://www.todayszaman.com/news-310925-leishmaniasis-outbreak-rings-alarm-bells-at-turkish-syrian-border.html</a>><br>
<br>
<br>
Approximately 100 000 people have been infected with the leishmaniasis<br>
parasitic disease in the past 2 years after civil war broke out in<br>
Syria, compared with before the conflict when the number of cases in<br>
Syria had been reduced to <a target="_blank">3000-4000</a> as a result of joint efforts by<br>
Turkish and Syrian authorities.<br>
<br>
The increase in the number of patients suffering from the disease is<br>
alarming not only for Syria but for Turkey as well, since<br>
leishmaniasis has also reached Turkey.<br>
<br>
Opposition forces who have been leading an uprising against Syrian<br>
President Bashar al-Assad's rule have asked Turkey to deliver 10 000<br>
boxes of Glucantin [supposedly the meglumine antimoniate Glucantime],<br>
a medicine used to treat leishmaniasis, which amounts to one month's<br>
treatment of 20 000 people.<br>
<br>
However, there has been no positive response from the Turkish side<br>
yet. Fake Glucantin is being produced and sold for 50 percent less<br>
than the normal price for the medicine in Aleppo.<br>
<br>
Dr. Kerem Kinik, coordinator of the Association of Earth Doctors, told<br>
Today's Zaman that his organization has been working to help the<br>
Syrians fight the disease. "We'll provide assistance to fight the<br>
disease, starting with sending medicine. This step is also important<br>
to protect our country [Turkey] from the disease," he said.<br>
<br>
The number of doctors in Syria has dropped dramatically from 30 000 to<br>
5000, and 57 percent of the hospitals have been damaged in the<br>
conflict, according to Kinik.<br>
<br>
Before the civil war in Syria, the number of leshmaniasis patients had<br>
been reduced to a great extent after studies carried out in 45 centers<br>
in 14 provinces across the nation. After a Syrian health official fled<br>
to Canada following the start of the conflict in the country, the<br>
battle against the disease was halted.<br>
<br>
Experts argue that the nation also faces typhoid, cholera and<br>
tuberculosis epidemics.<br>
<br>
Turkey imports leshmaniasis medicine via the Turkish Pharmacists'<br>
Association (TEB). TEB Secretary General Harun Kizilay told Today's<br>
Zaman that Turkey could bring the drugs to combat the disease for<br>
Syrians should the Turkish Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency<br>
Management Directorate (AFAD) submit a request at the Health<br>
Ministry.<br>
<br>
Professor Fatih Koksal, from Cukurova University's department of<br>
microbiology and clinical microbiology, said _Leishmania infantum_, a<br>
parasite that causes leshmaniasis, has been more common in Turkey in<br>
the recent years. "There was one case each in 2005 and 2010. But now,<br>
30 out of every 100 cases are caused by this parasite. Measures need<br>
to be taken," he urged.<br>
<br>
Koksal said he visited the buffer zone between the Cilvegozu and Bab<br>
al-Hawa border gates and observed poor conditions there that might<br>
lead to other epidemics. "The passage of people [from Syria] to Turkey<br>
has increased the frequency of diseases in Turkey."<br>
<br>
The symptoms of leshmaniasis are skin sores, fever and anemia and may<br>
result in spleen and liver problems. The disease can be fatal if not<br>
treated. The disease is transmitted by certain species of sandfly and<br>
later passes on to humans from animals, including dogs.<br>
<br>
[Byline: Caglar Avci]<br>
<br>
--<br>
Communicated by:<br>
ProMED-mail <<a href="mailto:promed@promedmail.org">promed@promedmail.org</a>><br>
<br>
[This is probably cutaneous leishmaniasis, which is the most common<br>
form of leishmaniasis in Syria.<br>
<br>
It is difficult to confirm the numbers, but as ProMED commented in our<br>
26 Dec 2012 posting on leishmaniasis in Syria, the infection will<br>
increase. It will be interesting to get numbers of cases in Syrian<br>
refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. - Mod.EP<br>
<br>
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at:<br>
<<a href="http://healthmap.org/r/3aLZ" target="_blank">http://healthmap.org/r/3aLZ</a>>.]<br>
<br>
[see also:<br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria: RFI 20130227.1562934<br>
2012<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis - Syria (02): comment 20121227.1471041<br>
Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis - Syria 20121226.1470184]<br>
.................................................sb/ep/msp/dk<br>
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