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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'><br><div>> From: ProMED-mail <promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu><br>> Date: 2013/5/18<br>> Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan (02): (FATA), cutaneous<br>> To: promed-ahead-edr@promedmail.org<br>> <br>> <br>> LEISHMANIASIS - PAKISTAN (02): (FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED TRIBAL AREAS),<br>> CUTANEOUS<br>> *******************************************************************************<br>> A ProMED-mail post<br>> <http://www.promedmail.org><br>> ProMED-mail is a program of the<br>> International Society for Infectious Diseases<br>> <http://www.isid.org><br>> <br>> Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 18:33:46 +0200<br>> Source: Pak Observer<br>> <http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=206947><br>> <br>> <br>> Surge of cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Federally Administered Tribal<br>> Areas, Pakistan<br>> ------------------------------------<br>> Cutaneous leishmaniasis is on the increase in Pakistan's Federally<br>> Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), according to reports by FATA's<br>> Directorate of Health.<br>> <br>> In response, the international medical organisation Medecins Sans<br>> Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has donated supplies of<br>> medicines to treat the disease.<br>> <br>> Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the common form of leishmaniasis, a<br>> parasitic disease transmitted by sand flies. It causes ulcer-like<br>> lesions and can lead to severe disfigurement. If left untreated, it<br>> can complicate by affecting<br>> internal organs.<br>> <br>> FATA is endemic to leishmaniasis. The recent surge in cases saw 1335<br>> patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis treated from January to March<br>> 2013, according to the FATA Directorate of Health, an increase of over<br>> 270 cases compared to the same period last year [2012]. MSF donated<br>> 1200 vials of the drug Meglumine Antimoniate (Glucantime) in the last<br>> week of April [2013]. This was almost 30 percent of the quantity that<br>> had been requested across FATA for an entire year, based on last<br>> year's patient numbers.<br>> <br>> Since the 1st reported outbreak in FATA in 2002, the Health<br>> Directorate launched a national response programme in 2003 to tackle<br>> the disease. The World Health Organization's Disease Early Warning<br>> System (DEWS) programme has been supporting the treatment of the<br>> disease in FATA since 2010. The sudden increase in cases of cutaneous<br>> leishmaniasis reverses a trend, which had seen cases fall over recent<br>> years.<br>> <br>> During 2012, MSF treated 298 patients for the disease at the Sadda<br>> Tehsil Headquarter hospital in Kurram Agency - a 50 percent drop on<br>> the previous year. "Timely treatment of the disease was a big factor<br>> in the significant drop in cases in the area," said MSF medical<br>> coordinator Dr Isaac Chikwanha. Using bed nets reduces the risk of<br>> being bitten by sand flies and infected with the disease<br>> <br>> --<br>> Communicated by:<br>> ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts<br>> <promed@promedmail.org><br>> <br>> [Cutaneous leishmaniasis, CL, is endemic in Pakistan and in<br>> Afghanistan. The fall of the Taliban regime showed that the country<br>> had experienced a huge increase in cases, with no proper control<br>> measures being implemented and treatment facilities grossly<br>> inadequate. CL increased in Pakistan with the increase in refugees<br>> from Afghanistan. The present increase needs to be analysed further.<br>> Were the cases refugees or residents in FATA? When were they exposed?<br>> With an incubation period of up to 4 months or even longer a history<br>> of movements over the past months is needed to understand the dynamics<br>> of the infection.<br>> <br>> Prevalence rates are provided in the ProMED posting the 3rd March 2013<br>> (see below). - Mod. EP<br>> <br>> A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at:<br>> <http://healthmap.org/r/1iGJ>.]<br>> <br>> [see also:<br>> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan: (KP) 20130303.1568339<br>> 2012<br>> ----<br>> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan (03):(KP) 20121228.1473148<br>> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan (02):(KP) 20121122.1420716<br>> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan: (KP) cutaneous: 20120429.1117486<br>> Leishmaniasis - UK ex Afghanistan: military 20120108.1003634<br>> 2010<br>> ----<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (03):(HR) 20101106.4015<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (02) 20101016.3753<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan 20101016.3750<br>> 2007<br>> ----<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan 20070508.1487<br>> 2005<br>> ----<br>> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan (Balochistan, Sindh)(02) 20050206.0403<br>> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan (Balochistan, Sindh) 20050113.0115<br>> 2004<br>> ----<br>> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan & India: background 20040201.0392<br>> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan (02): (Sind) 20040127.0324<br>> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan: (Sind) 20040126.0309<br>> 2003<br>> ----<br>> Leishmaniasis - Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan: military 20031024.2669<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan 20030909.2267<br>> 2002<br>> ----<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (07) 20020703.4662<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (06) 20020629.4633<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (05) 20020515.4212<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (04) 20020523.4304<br>> Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (Kabul): alert 20020508.4134<br>> 1996<br>> ----<br>> Infectious diseases - Afghanistan 19960802.1377]<br>> .................................................sb/ep/mpp<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>> <http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Donations.shtml><br>> ************************************************************<br>> Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.<br>> Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (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 <http://ww4.isid.org/promedmail/subscribe.php>.<br>> For assistance from a human being, send mail to:<br>> <postmaster@promedmail.org>.<br>> ############################################################<br>> ############################################################<br></div> </div></body>
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