<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><br>Subject: FW: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Pakistan: (TA)<br><br>
<div><div dir="ltr"><br><br><div><br>> 2014-02-03 <<a href="mailto:promed@promedmail.org" target="_blank">promed@promedmail.org</a>>:<br>> ><br>> > LEISHMANIASIS - PAKISTAN: (FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED TRIBAL AREAS)<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 3 Feb 2014<br>> > Source: The News, Pakistan [edited]<br>
> > <<a href="http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-7-230240-254-fall-victim-to-Leishmaniasis-in-Lan" target="_blank">http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-7-230240-254-fall-victim-to-Leishmaniasis-in-Lan</a>><br>
> ><br>> ><br>> > Officials at the Agency Headquarters Hospital in Landikotal said on<br>> > Sunday [2 Feb 2014] that they had diagnosed over 254 patients with<br>> > leishmaniasis.<br>> ><br>
> > However, they claimed to have initiated an awareness campaign against<br>> > the disease in the entire Khyber Agency. Agency Surgeon Dr Abdur<br>> > Rehman told The News that health officials had detected 254 patients<br>
> > in Landikotal tehsil [a tehsil is an administrative division] in<br>> > January 2014, which comprised mostly women and children.<br>> ><br>> > The health official said that the disease is caused by the bite of<br>
> > sand flies, which have invaded most parts of Fata [Federally<br>> > Administered Tribal Areas]. "Though we have registered and diagnosed<br>> > hundreds of leishmaniasis cases in Landikotal in the past few months,<br>
> > the disease is rampant in most parts of Fata, as tribesmen are not<br>> > fully aware about the gravity of this disease and the free treatment<br>> > provided by the Directorate of Health Fata," Dr Rehman said.<br>
> ><br>> > He said it was unfortunate that most of such cases were laying hidden<br>> > inside houses in most tribal areas due to lack of awareness among the<br>> > masses. He said the disease could easily be communicated to members of<br>
> > a family when a sand fly bites one person in a house. Dr Rehman Afridi<br>> > said the case reporting has registered a sharp rise in recent days as<br>> > an effective anti-leishmaniasis campaign has been launched in all the<br>
> > 3 tehsils of Khyber Agency.<br>> ><br>> > Regarding the root of the sand fly, he said it had come from bordering<br>> > areas of Afghanistan. He said a study conducted by the department<br>> > showed that most affected patients belong to border areas. Some<br>
> > patients at the AHQ hospital in Landikotal, however, complained that<br>> > they were facing difficulties in getting free and timely treatment.<br>> > They said they had repeatedly approached the medical superintendent of<br>
> > the hospital but to no avail.<br>> ><br>> > Most of the patients belong to poor families who are unable to afford<br>> > the costly treatment on their own. Local elders also demanded that the<br>
> > health authorities ensure timely distribution of mosquito nets. They<br>> > alleged that nets were given to undeserving and comparatively well-off<br>> > people instead of underprivileged people. They said that, hopefully,<br>
> > timely and judicious distribution would help stop leishmaniasis.<br>> ><br>> > --<br>> > communicated by:<br>> > ProMED-mail<br>> > <<a href="mailto:promed@promedmail.org" target="_blank">promed@promedmail.org</a>><br>
> ><br>> > [Landikotal is located close to the border between Pakistan and<br>> > Afghanistan on the Peshawar-Kabul highway.<br>> ><br>> > Leishmaniasis, mainly cutaneous leishmaniasis [CL], is rampant in<br>
> > Afghanistan and Pakistan. Control measures completely ceased under the<br>> > Taliban regime, and control measures are still grossly inadequate in<br>> > both Afghanistan and Pakistan.<br>> ><br>
> > In Pakistan, CL is a major and fast increasing public health problem,<br>> > both among the local Pakistani population and the Afghan refugees in<br>> > camps. Its extensive spreading has been associated with mass<br>
> > migration, from endemic to non-endemic areas and vice versa, and with<br>> > Afghan refugees from areas where CL is highly endemic. Outbreaks are<br>> > frequent -- for example, in early 2011 in Mianwali, Punjab province,<br>
> > which is a bordering district with Kyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and<br>> > probably cases have come from Afghan refugees residing in the area.<br>> ><br>> > In Afghanistan, CL is well known under the name "saldana" ("that which<br>
> > lasts one year"). Leishmaniasis in Afghanistan was almost eradicated<br>> > in the 1960s and 70s, when an extensive DDT spraying campaign greatly<br>> > reduced the sandfly population. However, CL by _L. tropica_ has now<br>
> > returned as a major public health problem.<br>> ><br>> > CL is underreported. Surveys consistently show higher case numbers<br>> > than the officially reported ones. Reporting systems are weak, and<br>
> > many patients resort to the informal private sector because of the<br>> > lack of drugs in government clinics.<br>> ><br>> > The above citations are both from: Alvar J, et al. Leishmaniasis<br>
> > worldwide and global estimates of its incidence. PloS One Published:<br>> > 31 May 2012, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035671.<br>> > <<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0035671#pone.0035671.s086" target="_blank">http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0035671#pone.0035671.s086</a>>.<br>
> > - Mod.EP<br>> ><br>> > A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at<br>> > <<a href="http://healthmap.org/r/1iGJ" target="_blank">http://healthmap.org/r/1iGJ</a>>.]<br>> ><br>> > [See Also:<br>
> > 2013<br>> > ---<br>> > Leishmaniasis - Pakistan (02): (FATA), cutaneous 20130518.1722196<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 (Sind) (02) 20040127.0324<br>> > Leishmaniasis - Pakistan (Sind): correction 20040125.0305<br>
> > Leishmaniasis - Pakistan (Sind): correction 20040125.0304<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 (04) 20020523.4304<br>
> > Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (03) 20020515.4212<br>> > Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (03) 20020512.4178<br>> > Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (02) 20020511.4161<br>> > Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (Kabul): alert 20020508.4134]<br>
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