Seroprevalence of childhood visceral leishmaniosis in Zahedan city

Abstract:Visceral leishmaniosis (Kala-azar) is the fatal form of leishmaniosis.Nearly half of the VL cases occur in children (childhood or paediatric VL). Prolonged fever with anorexia and loss of appetite are the major presenting features. Hepatosplenomegalyand moderate to severe anemia also take place. Kala –azar is sporadic in many parts of Iran, and it is endemic in some locations. Sporadic cases of kala-azar were reported from infants from Sisitan-Baluchistan province since 1360. In the present study, seroprevalence of visceral leishmaniosis was investigated in children under 14 years in Zahedan city.Materials and methods:During 6 months period 200 serum samples were obtained from the febrile children who were hospitalized in infection ward of the teaching hospital of Zahedan University of Medical Science. For each patient the following data were reviewed: age, sex, time of admission, signs, symptoms, laboratory investigations and treatments. Serum samples were checked by direct agglutination test (DAT)for the presence of anti leishmania infantum antibodies.Results:No positive cases were detected and this showed that Zahedan is not an endemic area whereas presence of positive cases in stray dogs in DAT revealed that the risk of disease is still present in this city.Discussion:The global estimates for the incidence and prevalence of kala-azar cases per year are 0.5 and 2.5 million, respectively. In the absence of an ideal vaccine for VL, control measures would essentially include prevention of transmission through vector and reservoir control and community awareness.

کلیدواژه ها:

Childhood visceral leishmaniosis ، DAT ، Zahedan