Down Turn of Leishmaniasis Morbidity in the Areas Affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

Head of the contagious diseases of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences declared the downtrend of morbidity to leishmaniasis in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences coverage areas and stated that the annual record of leishmaniasis disease has been reduced from 103 in one thousand to 48 in the province.

According to WEBDA, clarifying that Leishmaniasis faced with 60% decrease in a period of the recent six years, Dr. Zahra Nehbandani declared that the number of patients declined from 5600 patients in 2009 to 2300 ones in the last year.

She also stated that the number of infected individuals visited medical unit was 200 since the beginning of this year.

Dr. Nehandani mentioned that public education regarding prevention, control and treatment ways for leishmaniasis, environment and canal improvement, spraying, distribution of special bed nets and coordination between veterinarians sector and municipalities were some of the measures for controlling and preventing leishmaniasis.

60% of the leishmaniasis patents live in Mashhad.

Leishmaniasis disease expert in Mashhad university if medical sciences also said “ more than 60% of the patients in  Khorasan Razvi province live in Mashhad in which 1500 of  patients  lived in Mashhad last year.”

Mohammad Hassan Masoudi added: “Increasing marginalization, indiscriminate constructions, construction waste and insanitary sewage disposal in an area are causes of cutaneous leishmaniasis.”

While clarifying that leishmaniasis is transferred to human by sandflies, he added that biting season starts from April to August every year.

He said that the insect starts its active time from sunset to midnights.

Emphasizing that leishmaniasis has a long incubation period, he said that it may be some months between the biting moment to the appearance of the symptoms and it may appear in any month of year.

 He emphasized that the whole treatment procedure for leishmaniasis is free of charge. The treatment procedure which may prolong for several months includes Cryotherapy, topical and systemic treatment with glucantime injections.