Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran: Results from an epidemiological study in urban and rural provinces

Objective: To examine the prevalence and clinical manifestations of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Iran. Methods: This study was conducted in Iran between 2011 and 2013. Sampling, preparing, developing, and fixing of suspicious skin lesions were completed in healthcare centers in 31 Iranian provinces as well as in the Academic Reference Laboratory and the National Reference Laboratory. The information was then analyzed at the Ministry of Health's Information Management Center of Contagious Diseases. Results: Over a three-year period, the number of people identified with CL was 56546. The highest incidence was reported in 2011 (27.5 per 100000). Wet CL accounted for 43.7% of cases while 43.3% resulted from sporotrichoid leishmaniasis. The results showed that there was a higher incidence of CL due to Leishmania major (50.2%) than to Leishmania tropica. The results of this study found that the highest incidence of CL had happened respectively in Ilam, Fars and, Khorasan Razavi Provinces between 2011 and 2013. Conclusions: Although the incidence of the disease is declining, CL is still a public health concern and disease control protocols need to be established. Therefore, further studies are needed to identify the vectors, reservoirs, and disease species as well as to develop appropriate disease control strategies