Epidemiological Trends of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah Province, Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Overview

Journal J Glob Infect Dis

Date 2018 Jan 6

PMID 29302149

Citations 8

Authors

Miskelyemen Abdelatti Elmekki

Mogahid M Elhassan

Hani A Ozbak

Ilham T Qattan

Satti M Saleh

Ali H Alharbi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological trends of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, western region of KSA.

Materials And Methods: Four hundred and sixty-seven parasitologically confirmed CL cases attending Al-Meeqat Hospital, Al-Madinah, during 2012-2015, were included in this study.

Results: Both Saudi and non-Saudi nationals were infected, with the highest infection rate being among Saudis (68.7%). Males were more affected than females as 86.9% of the total CL cases were males. Moreover, CL was prevalent in all age groups with higher frequency among young adults and adolescents (23.1% and 22.7%, respectively). Interestingly, almost all the patients in the adolescent and child age groups were Saudis (96.2% and 93.5%, respectively). Considering geographical distribution, the highest percentage of the cases (40.5%) were from the northern parts of Al-Madinah province while the eastern parts reported the least infection rate (7.3%). Few cases (2.5%) were supposed to encounter the infection abroad. Additionally, the frequency of infection was found to follow a seasonal distribution. Regarding treatment, pentostam, ketoconazole, or cryotherapy were the treatment options usually used.

Conclusion: CL is prevalent in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah area and new foci are being introduced. Thus, detailed studies with large surveillances regarding vector and reservoir hosts in and around the area are needed.

Citing Articles

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Saudi Arabia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Alshahrani N, Alarifi A, Assiri A J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2025; 15(1):37.

PMID: 40063319 PMC: 11893951. DOI: 10.1007/s44197-025-00379-w.

Epidemiological Mapping of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Saudi Arabia: An Observational Descriptive Study.

Alharbi B, Ahmed M J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2024; 14(3):1281-1288.

PMID: 39186211 PMC: 11442819. DOI: 10.1007/s44197-024-00285-7.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Prevalence and Clinical Overview: A Single Center Study from Saudi Arabia, Eastern Region, Al-Ahsa.

Al-Dhafiri M, Alhajri A, Alwayel Z, Alturaiki J, Bu Izran S, Alhammad F Trop Med Infect Dis. 2023; 8(12).

PMID: 38133439 PMC: 10748161. DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8120507.

Leishmaniasis: Recent epidemiological studies in the Middle East.

Knight C, Harris D, Alshammari S, Gugssa A, Young T, Lee C Front Microbiol. 2023; 13:1052478.

PMID: 36817103 PMC: 9932337. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1052478.

Molecular Characterization of Species among Patients with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Asir Province, Saudi Arabia.

Alraey Y, Alhweti R, Almutairi H, Abdullah Al-Qahtani A, Alshahrani M, Asiri M Pathogens. 2022; 11(12).

PMID: 36558806 PMC: 9784527. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121472.

References

Al-Zahrani M, Peters W, Evans D, Chin C, Smith V, Lane R . Phlebotomus sergenti, a vector of Leishmania tropica in Saudi Arabia. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1988; 82(3):416. DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(88)90142-3. View

Pareek S . Combination therapy of sodium stibogluconate and rifampin in cutaneous leishmaniasis. Int J Dermatol. 1984; 23(1):70-1. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-4362.1984.tb05669.x. View

Bensoussan E, Nasereddin A, Jonas F, Schnur L, Jaffe C . Comparison of PCR assays for diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis. J Clin Microbiol. 2006; 44(4):1435-9. PMC: 1448629. DOI: 10.1128/JCM.44.4.1435-1439.2006. View

Vega-Lopez F . Diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2003; 16(2):97-101. DOI: 10.1097/00001432-200304000-00006. View

El-Beshbishy H, Al-Ali K, El-Badry A . Molecular characterization of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah province, western Saudi Arabia. Int J Infect Dis. 2012; 17(5):e334-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2012.11.015. View

El-Beshbishy H, Al-Ali K, El-Badry A . Molecular characterization of Leishmania infection in sand flies from Al-madinah Al-munawarah province, western Saudi Arabia. Exp Parasitol. 2013; 134(2):211-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2013.02.016. View

Bamba S, Gouba A, Drabo K, Nezien D, Bougoum M, Guiguemde T . [Trends in incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis from 1999 to 2005 in Ouagadougou, Burkina]. Med Trop (Mars). 2011; 71(3):312. View

Yildiz Zeyrek F, Korkmaz M, Ozbel Y . Serodiagnosis of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) caused by Leishmania tropica in Sanliurfa Province, Turkey, where ACL Is highly endemic. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2007; 14(11):1409-15. PMC: 2168175. DOI: 10.1128/CVI.00133-07. View

Himmelrich H, Launois P, Maillard I, Biedermann T, Tacchini-Cottier F, Locksley R . In BALB/c mice, IL-4 production during the initial phase of infection with Leishmania major is necessary and sufficient to instruct Th2 cell development resulting in progressive disease. J Immunol. 2000; 164(9):4819-25. DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.164.9.4819. View

10.

Behbehani K . Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kuwait. Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 1980; 74(5):495-501. DOI: 10.1080/00034983.1980.11687374. View

11.

Al-Zahrani M, Peters W, Evans D, Smith V, Ching Chin I . Leishmania infecting man and wild animals in Saudi Arabia. 6. Cutaneous leishmaniasis of man in the south-west. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1989; 83(5):621-8. DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(89)90376-3. View

12.

Alrajhi A, Ibrahim E, De Vol E, Khairat M, Faris R, Maguire J . Fluconazole for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major. N Engl J Med. 2002; 346(12):891-5. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa011882. View

13.

Marty P, Le Fichoux Y, Pratlong F, Rioux J, Rostain G, Lacour J . Cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania tropica in a young Moroccan child observed in Nice, France. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1989; 83(4):510. DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(89)90268-x. View

14.

Sutherst R . Global change and human vulnerability to vector-borne diseases. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2004; 17(1):136-73. PMC: 321469. DOI: 10.1128/CMR.17.1.136-173.2004. View

15.

Goto H, Lindoso J . Current diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2010; 8(4):419-33. DOI: 10.1586/eri.10.19. View

16.

Birnbaum R, Craft N . Innate immunity and Leishmania vaccination strategies. Dermatol Clin. 2010; 29(1):89-102. DOI: 10.1016/j.det.2010.08.014. View

17.

Karami M, Doudi M, Setorki M . Assessing epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Isfahan, Iran. J Vector Borne Dis. 2013; 50(1):30-7. View

18.

Morrone A, Pitidis A, Pajno M, Dassoni F, Latini O, Barnabas G . Epidemiological and geographical aspects of leishmaniasis in Tigray, northern Ethiopia: a retrospective analysis of medical records, 2005-2008. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2011; 105(5):273-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2011.02.003. View

19.

Al-Jaser M . Treatment trends of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2005; 26(8):1220-4. View

20.

Al-Tawfiq J, AbuKhamsin A . Cutaneous leishmaniasis: a 46-year study of the epidemiology and clinical features in Saudi Arabia (1956-2002). Int J Infect Dis. 2004; 8(4):244-50. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2003.10.006. View