The effect of climate and weather on the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in the city of Yazd (an ecological study)

Introduction: Leishmaniasis is a major health problem in Iran and it has a heavy economic burden on communities. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of climate on the prevalence and incidence of leishmaniasis in Yazd. Methods: This is an ecological study. Data was collected from health department of Yazd University of Medical Sciences during the years 2003-2007 by age and sex, monthly and information about climate factors on monthly and annual basis including temperature, Relative humidity of air, precipitation from the general weather office of Yazd city, the information was entered into SPSS 16 software and analyzed by descriptive statistics as well as Spearman correlation and time delay analysis and analyzed the relationship and correlation between the elements of the cluster and the occurrence Cutaneous Leishmaniasis was performed in Yazd city. Resultus: According to the findings of this study, the most reported cases of leishmaniasis in men aged 11 to 30 years with 561 (69.9%), and in women in the age group of 71 and over with 41 The case (66.1%) and the highest upward trend were 2004 to 2005, 2009 to 2012, and in the month of October. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that there is a strong and positive relationship with relative humidity and precipitation, which can guide policymakers in the area of health policy in this province to control and more effective prevention measures.