<html>
<head>
<style><!--
.hmmessage P
{
margin:0px;
padding:0px
}
body.hmmessage
{
font-size: 12pt;
font-family:Calibri
}
--></style></head>
<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'><br><div><div dir="ltr"><br><div class="ecxgmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>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: 2013/4/20<br>Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Syria (04): comment on canine reservoir<br>To: <a href="mailto:promed-ahead-edr@promedmail.org">promed-ahead-edr@promedmail.org</a><br><br><br>LEISHMANIASIS - SYRIA (04): COMMENT ON CANINE RESERVOIR<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: Mon 15 Apr 2013<br>
From: Merritt Clifton <<a href="mailto:anmlpepl@whidbey.com">anmlpepl@whidbey.com</a>> [edited]<br>
<br>
<br>
Syria does not have a large dog population, free-roaming or otherwise,<br>
as dogs have been culturally considered unclean and have been<br>
frequently shot or poisoned.<br>
<br>
Turkey, however, has been historically rather tolerant of free-roaming<br>
dogs and instituted a national dog sterilization program 10 years ago<br>
to replace shooting or poisoning street dogs. Unfortunately, the<br>
sterilization program has not been very well managed in much of the<br>
nation, so much of Turkey still has abundant street dogs.<br>
<br>
Jordan and Lebanon have far fewer free-roaming dogs but are<br>
nonetheless much more tolerant of dogs than Syria.<br>
<br>
This sets up the possibility that, whereas dogs are sometimes<br>
implicated in transmitting leishmaniasis to humans, in this situation,<br>
human refugees may be inadvertently bringing the sand flies that carry<br>
leishmaniasis into more frequent contact with the dogs of Turkey,<br>
Jordan, and Lebanon, and the pet keepers and humane communities of<br>
those nations may, accordingly, need to escalate vigilance against<br>
leishmaniasis, after having not worried about it much for many years.<br>
<br>
--<br>
Merritt Clifton<br>
Editor, Animal People<br>
P.O. Box 960<br>
Clinton, WA 98236<br>
<<a href="http://www.animalpeoplenews.org" target="_blank">http://www.animalpeoplenews.org</a>><br>
<<a href="mailto:anmlpepl@whidbey.com">anmlpepl@whidbey.com</a>><br>
<br>
[ProMED-mail thanks Merritt Clifton for his comment.<br>
<br>
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is caused by _Leishmania tropica_, and 30<br>
000 cases were reported in 2008 in Syria (Alvar J et al. and the WHO<br>
Leishmaniasis Control Team. Leishmaniasis Worldwide and Global<br>
Estimates of Its Incidence. PLoS One. 2012; 7(5): e35671).<br>
<br>
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is rare but is found from Aleppo and<br>
towards the Turkish border. The reservoir for _L. tropica_ is small<br>
rodents and for _L. infantum_, it is dogs.<br>
<br>
In Turkey, there has been a considerable reduction in the number of<br>
reported cases since 1995 onwards (Zeyrek FY et al. Serodiagnosis of<br>
anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) caused by _Leishmania<br>
tropica_ in Sanliurfa Province, Turkey, where ACL is highly endemic.<br>
Clin Vaccine Immunol 2007;14:1409-15).<br>
<br>
A recent upsurge of CL cases in the southeastern Anatolia Region is<br>
attributed to the environmental impact of a big irrigation project<br>
(Guneydogu Anadolu Projesi-GAP) [Ok UZ et al. Leishmaniasis in Turkey.<br>
Acta Trop 2002;84:43-8).<br>
<br>
Some CL cases are attributed to _L. infantum_ in the eastern<br>
Mediterranean region. The main reservoirs are dogs and humans.<br>
<br>
In Jordan, outbreaks of CL have been reported every year for the past<br>
5 years: in Aqaba (2006 and 2007), North Agwar (2008) and South Shuneh<br>
(2004 and 2005) with 100-200 cases. Severe underreporting of CL is<br>
suspected; between 2001 and 2003, an estimated incidence was 47 times<br>
higher than the officially reported number of cases (Mosleh IM et al.<br>
(2008). Cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Jordanian side of the Jordan<br>
Valley: severe under-reporting and consequences on public health<br>
management. Trop Med Int Health 2008;13:855-60).<br>
<br>
The main reservoir for _L. infantum is dogs and for _L. major_, small<br>
rodents (_Psammomys obesus_, _Meriones libycus_). - Mod.EP<br>
<br>
HealthMap/ProMED-mail maps for Syria, Turkey, and Jordan can be<br>
accessed at: <<a href="http://healthmap.org/r/3aLZ" target="_blank">http://healthmap.org/r/3aLZ</a>>,<br>
<<a href="http://healthmap.org/r/1Cfs" target="_blank">http://healthmap.org/r/1Cfs</a>>, and <<a href="http://healthmap.org/r/1CMW" target="_blank">http://healthmap.org/r/1CMW</a>>,<br>
respectively.<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 (03): Turkey ex Syria: 20130409.1633859<br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria (02): 20130328.1608713<br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria: RFI 20130227.1562934<br>
2012<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis - Syria (02): comment 20121227.1471041<br>
Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis - Syria 20121226.1470184]<br>
.................................................ep/msp/ml<br>
*##########################################################*<br>
************************************************************<br>
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that<br>
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the<br>
information, and of any statements or opinions based<br>
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in<br>
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID<br>
and its associated service providers shall not be held<br>
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any<br>
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted<br>
or archived material.<br>
************************************************************<br>
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:<br>
<<a href="http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Donations.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Donations.shtml</a>><br>
************************************************************<br>
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <<a href="http://www.promedmail.org" target="_blank">http://www.promedmail.org</a>>.<br>
Send all items for posting to: <a href="mailto:promed@promedmail.org">promed@promedmail.org</a> (NOT to<br>
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name<br>
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-<br>
scribe at <<a href="http://ww4.isid.org/promedmail/subscribe.php" target="_blank">http://ww4.isid.org/promedmail/subscribe.php</a>>.<br>
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:<br>
<<a href="mailto:postmaster@promedmail.org">postmaster@promedmail.org</a>>.<br>
############################################################<br>
############################################################<br>
</div><br></div></div> </div></body>
</html>