Epidemiology of cutaneous Leishmaniosis in south Fars province, Iran: A retrospective decade long survey

Objective: Fars province in south Iran is an endemic focus of Leishmaniosis. This study was designed to evaluate the epidemiological status of cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Fars province, South Iran, from 2007 to 2016. Methods: This study was a retrospective-analytical cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of all people with Leishmaniasis, who referred to the infectious disease center in four cities of Larestan, south Fars province, from 2007 to 2016. Chi-square test and ANOVA were used in data analysis. The significance level was considered as 5%. Results: In the period 2007-2016, 4599 cases of cutaneous Leishmaniosis were registered. The highest number of cases occurred in 2008. The mean age in 2007 and 2016 was 17.7±17.1 and 12.9±16.5, respectively. Women were the majority of cases, from 2007 to 2012. Hand ulcers were the most prevalent part of the body in all these years, except 2016. In terms of seasonal distribution, most of the cases occurred in winter and the least in summer. Afghan and Pakistani immigrants produced the majority of cases. Conclusion: The trend of cutaneous Leishmaniosis has declined in Larestan city from 2007 to 2016. However, Leishmaniosis is still a major public health problem. Since the majority of cases were related to Afghan and Pakistani immigrants, it is necessary to ward off these people