<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><div style='font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'><br><blockquote style="border-left:2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255);margin-left:5px;padding-left:5px;color:#000;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div class="ecxgmail_quote">From: <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:promed@promedmail.org" target="_blank">promed@promedmail.org</a>></span><br>Date: 2015-12-10 18:39 GMT-02:00<br>Subject: PRO/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Syria (03)<br>To: <a href="mailto:promed-post@promedmail.org" target="_blank">promed-post@promedmail.org</a>, <a href="mailto:promed-edr-post@promedmail.org" target="_blank">promed-edr-post@promedmail.org</a><br><br><br><br>
LEISHMANIASIS - SYRIA (03)<br>
**************************<br>
A ProMED-mail post<br>
<<a href="http://www.promedmail.org" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.promedmail.org</a>><br>
ProMED-mail is a program of the<br>
International Society for Infectious Diseases<br>
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<br>
Date: Wed 9 Dec 2015<br>
Source: Inverse.com [edited]<br>
<<a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/8981-isis-occupied-syria-is-being-attacked-by-a-flesh-eating-leishmaniasis" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.inverse.com/article/8981-isis-occupied-syria-is-being-attacked-by-a-flesh-eating-leishmaniasis</a>><br>
<br>
<br>
The total collapse of the Syrian health infrastructure has led to the<br>
spread of diseases, including polio, measles, and now, cutaneous<br>
leishmaniasis (CL).<br>
<br>
The most common form of leishmaniasis, CL causes skin lesions and<br>
ulcers to develop on the body, very often leaving scars and serious<br>
disability to the victim. Also known as the "Aleppo Boil," the disease<br>
is reportedly spreading in the rural areas of ISIS-controlled Syria.<br>
<br>
"As a result of abominable acts by ISIS that included the killing of<br>
innocent people and dumping their corpses in the streets, this is the<br>
leading factor behind the rapid spread of leishmaniasis disease," said<br>
Dilqash Isa, head of the Kurdish Red Crescent, to the Kurdish media<br>
network<br>
Rudaw [see comment below].<br>
<br>
Leishmaniasis in Syria is unfortunately not new. Previous to the civil<br>
war in Syria, CL was a documented yet well-controlled disease -- since<br>
the outbreak of war it has increased 10-fold. Syria currently has the<br>
highest estimated case counts of CL in the world.<br>
<br>
The Syrian Ministry of health recorded 41 000 cases in the 1st 2<br>
quarters of 2013 alone. It is currently unknown how many cases exist<br>
in the region.<br>
<br>
CL is caused when the Leishmania parasites are transmitted by the bite<br>
of infected sandflies.<br>
<br>
Lack of doctors and drugs<br>
--------<br>
In Syria, according to the World Health Organization, at least 160<br>
doctors have been killed and hundreds of others have been jailed as of<br>
[2014]. Additionally, there has been an emigration of an estimated 80<br>
000 doctors. Health officials estimate that the availability of<br>
pharmaceuticals that are locally produced has been reduced to only 10<br>
percent of the previous stockpile -- a major shortage of necessary<br>
medications.<br>
<br>
"Rather than providing a safe place of care and refuge, the Syrian<br>
health care system has been integrated into the civil war<br>
battlefield," writes the authors of a 2014 paper published in PLOS:<br>
Pathogens. "The shattered medical infrastructure, the exodus of health<br>
care workers, and the deterioration of immunization programs have<br>
created a dangerous vacuum in essential health care provision."<br>
<br>
The threat of diseases like CL poses a danger to other countries as<br>
well -- as untreated refugees seek shelter in neighboring nations, the<br>
disease spreads. Before 2008 there had been no cases of CL in Lebanon;<br>
by 2013 there had been 1033 cases confirmed. Of those infected, 96.6<br>
percent were Syrian refugees.<br>
<br>
--<br>
Communicated by:<br>
ProMED-mail<br>
<<a href="mailto:promed@promedmail.org" target="_blank">promed@promedmail.org</a>><br>
<br>
[ProMED has previously posted information on the increasing number of<br>
cases of cutaneous leishmanaisis in both government- and<br>
ISIS-controlled areas (see below). The spread of the disease into<br>
neighboring countries -- especially Turkey-- has also been reported,<br>
but the data from Syria are new.<br>
<br>
Contrary to the report above, it is not correct that leishmanaisis can<br>
be spread by corpses. The sandflies become infected from feeding on<br>
rodents (the main reservoir) and infected people. Sandflies do not<br>
feed on corpses, but the unhygienic conditions increase the breeding<br>
of sandflies; at the same time the population of the rodent reservoir<br>
is expanding, increasing transmission.<br>
<br>
The exodus of physicians as described here and the lack of drugs<br>
further emphasize the magnitude of the humanitarian catastrophe in<br>
Syria. - Mod.EP<br>
<br>
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at:<br>
<<a href="http://healthmap.org/promed/p/86" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://healthmap.org/promed/p/86</a>>.]<br>
<br>
[See Also:<br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria (02): (TD): government troops:<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20151123.3813120" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20151123.3813120</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria: (RA) ISIS-held area:<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20150403.3275924" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20150403.3275924</a><br>
2013<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria (07): Turkey ex Syria, refugee camps<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20130831.1915697" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20130831.1915697</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria (06): Iraq ex Syria, refugee camp<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20130717.1830512" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20130717.1830512</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria (05): (HL)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20130607.1760836" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20130607.1760836</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria (04): comment on canine reservoir<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20130420.1660409" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20130420.1660409</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria (03): Turkey ex Syria<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20130409.1633859" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20130409.1633859</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria (02)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20130328.1608713" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20130328.1608713</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria: RFI<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20130227.1562934" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20130227.1562934</a><br>
2012<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis - Syria (02): comment<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20121227.1471041" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20121227.1471041</a><br>
Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis - Syria<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20121226.1470184" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20121226.1470184</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - UK ex Afghanistan: military<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20120108.1003634" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20120108.1003634</a><br>
2010<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (03): (HR)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20101106.4015" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20101106.4015</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan <a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20101016.3750" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20101016.3750</a><br>
2009<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis - Iraq (MA) <a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20090521.1904" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20090521.1904</a><br>
2008<br>
----<br>
2008 Leishmaniasis - Iraq: (Qadisiyah)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20080219.0674" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20080219.0674</a><br>
2007<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan <a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20070508.1487" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20070508.1487</a><br>
2005<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis - Iraq (Baqubah)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20050406.0989" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20050406.0989</a><br>
2004<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: U.S. military (04)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20040419.1091" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20040419.1091</a><br>
2003<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: U.S. military<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20031210.3026" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20031210.3026</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan: military<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20031024.2669" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20031024.2669</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan <a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20030909.2267" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20030909.2267</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (07)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20020703.4662" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20020703.4662</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: comments (02)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20030612.1445" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20030612.1445</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: comments<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20030602.1348" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20030602.1348</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Iraq: RFI <a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20030531.1331" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20030531.1331</a><br>
2002<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (04)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20020523.4304" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20020523.4304</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (03)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20020515.4212" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20020515.4212</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (03)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20020512.4178" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20020512.4178</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (02)<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20020511.4161" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20020511.4161</a><br>
Leishmaniasis - Afghanistan (Kabul): alert<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20020508.4134" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20020508.4134</a><br>
2001<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis, suspected - Iraq<br>
<a href="http://promedmail.org/post/20010917.2245" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://promedmail.org/post/20010917.2245</a>]<br>
.................................................sb/ep/pg/jw<br>
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