The Relationship between Climatic Factors and the Prevalence of Visceral Leishmaniasis in North West of Iran

Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is most commonly found among children under the age of 10 in some provinces of Iran including Ardabil. As such, this study set out to determine the relationship between some climatic factors and the prevalence of VL in Northwest of Iran. Materials and Methods In this descriptive-analytic study, data collection was done on some climatic factors including rainfall, temperature, and the number of sunny and snowy days from Apr. 2001 to Sep. 2017 from the weather station in Meshkinshahr County of Ardabil province, Iran, and the related information of the VL patients from the health center. Statistical analysis was done using Excel and SPSS version 23.0 software. Pearson correlation coefficient test was utilized for data analysis. Results Over the course of 17 years, 226 cases of VL occurred in rural and urban areas of Meshkinshahr. The highest prevalence of VL disease was reported in February and March. Climatic factors of temperature and the number of sunny days showed a direct relationship with the prevalence of VL disease (P<0.05). However, rainfall and the number of snowy days had inverse correlation with the prevalence of VL (P>0.05). Conclusion In spite of the rather cold and humid climate of Meshkinshahr County during much of the year, based on the findings of present study, there was a significantly direct relationship between VL disease and the hot temperature as well as sunny days.