Background: Kerman city, Iran, is one of the largest foci of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in the world.
ACL is a vector-borne protozoan disease that not fatal and transmitted to humans by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies.Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the main risk factors associated with
ACL among residents in endemic areas in suburb of Kerman city, southeast of IranMethods: This Qualitative study was conducted during spring and winter 2019 in Kerman city. In this study, three endemic areas in suburb of
Kerman city including Allahabad, Shahrak Sanati and Sar Asiab were visited and data was collected by direct observation. Also, some residents who are living in three endemic areas were interviewed about
ACL by medical entomology experts and data was records through checklist.Results: Totally, there was much issue over
ACL incidence among residents in endemic areas of Kerman city, such as environmental risk factors and behavioral risk factors. Environmental risk factors including waste of construction homes in environment, old and demolished houses, presence of inadequate garbage in idle land among the new construction homes, sand fly breeding sites such as keeping domestic animal near houses. Behavioral risk factors including poor sanitary conditions, living refugee from Afghanistan in suburb and immigration from nearby cities of
Kerman city such as Bam and Jiroft. Based on direct observation, the findings showed that Sar Asiab among endemic areas has bad environmental condition than other and there are much environmental risk factors for
ACL incidence in this area. Based on interview, the results of current study showed that, the residents who living in Allahabad have weak knowledge about
ACL symptoms, transmission routes and prevention than other areas.Conclusion: Due to recent rises in
ACL disease incidence rate in
Kerman city and presence various types of risk factors in the endemic areas, we recommend that
ACL disease should beconsidered as a serious public health problem and monitoring and health strategies should have high priorities to control and prevent the expansion of the disease to new areas.