Cutaneous leishmaniasis in southern Sri Lanka

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an established disease in Sri Lanka. The majority of cases have been reported from the North-Central Province, with the southern parts of the country considered less affected. However, during 2004, when the services of a dermatologist were available, a considerable number...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2007-08, Vol.101 (8), p.799-803
Main Authors: Rajapaksa, U.S., Ihalamulla, R.L., Udagedera, C., Karunaweera, N.D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Aged
Animals
Antimony Sodium Gluconate - therapeutic use
Antiprotozoal Agents - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Disease reservoirs
Disease vectors
Female
Human protozoal diseases
Humans
Incidence
Infectious diseases
Insect vectors
Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - diagnosis
Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - epidemiology
Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - parasitology
Leshmaniasis
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Parasitic diseases
Phlebotomus
Protozoal diseases
Retrospective Studies
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka - epidemiology
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Summary:Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an established disease in Sri Lanka. The majority of cases have been reported from the North-Central Province, with the southern parts of the country considered less affected. However, during 2004, when the services of a dermatologist were available, a considerable number of patients were referred from the Southern Province, which formed the basis for this study. The clinical pattern, detailed geographical distribution within the Southern Province and periodicity of the cases were studied over a period of 12 months. Of the 113 patients diagnosed, the highest number was within the 10–19 years age group. Most patients were from densely populated rural areas around Matara, a large town within this province. There was a notable increase in the number of cases presenting during February–March and August–September, which are periods following monsoonal rains. Exposed areas of the skin were commonly affected, with the majority of patients having single lesions. Females and males were equally affected. This is in contrast to our previous findings in the North-Central Province where the majority of patients were male soldiers with multiple lesions.
ISSN:0035-9203
1878-3503
DOI:10.1016/j.trstmh.2006.05.013