Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Gharyan - Libya - a Case-Control Study

Leishmaniasis occurs in 88 countries throughout the Tropics and Temperate zones and is estimated to infect 1.5 million persons with the cutaneous form and 500 thousand persons with the visceral form yearly. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has a significant social impact as it may lead to severe stigmatization of affected individuals when lesions or scars occur on the face and exposed extremities. In Egypt, Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in the Sinai region, and when the etiologic agent was identified, L. major has been the culprit parasite. In Libya, CL is widespread in the north-western region. Information about disease distribution combining risk factors is confined. The objectives of this study was to study socio-demographic risk factors associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis in Gharyan, Libya and to describe the characteristics of the lesions among cases enrolled in the study. The results of this study showed that cutaneous leishmaniasis is significantly associated with some socio-demographic factors as residence in rural areas, illiteracy, increased family size, decreased number of floor and rooms per house, and presence of garden and domestic animals. It was recommended to control rodents and sandfly vector and to decrease human vector contact by simple screening of windows.