Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
5
pubmed:dateCreated
2011-4-25
pubmed:abstractText
Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected tropical diseases and epidemic outbreaks often occur worldwide. This paper reports some epidemiological features of the disease in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, with the aim of studying the disease distribution and the environmental factors that may have influenced it. Medical records from patients with Leishmania attending the Italian Dermatological Centre of Mekele in the period 2005-2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Age and gender distribution, clinical types, occupation, co-morbidity, urban/rural origin, altitude and rainfall were investigated. The result was 471 patients affected and the prevalent clinical form was cutaneous leishmaniasis (86%). Five main risk areas were identified in the Tigray highlands and only isolated cases were reported at altitudes below 1700m. The variables related to a higher risk of catching leishmaniasis were male gender, age over-14, poor education, outdoor activities and living at high altitudes. Climatic and environmental changes occurring in this region and land degradation are discussed as factors influencing leishmaniasis distribution. Further research including field missions and geomapping is needed to quantify the actual disease burden in the region.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
1878-3503
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright © 2011 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
105
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
273-80
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2011
pubmed:articleTitle
Epidemiological and geographical aspects of leishmaniasis in Tigray, northern Ethiopia: a retrospective analysis of medical records, 2005-2008.
pubmed:affiliation
National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty, via di San Gallicano 25/A, 00153 Rome, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article