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Bamorovat M, Sharifi I, Khosravi A, Aflatoonian MR, Agha Kuchak Afshari S, Salarkia E, Sharifi F, Aflatoonian B, Gharachorloo F, Khamesipour A, Mohebali M, Zamani O, Shirzadi MR, Gouya MM. Global Dilemma and Needs Assessment Toward Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Controlling Leishmaniasis. J Epidemiol Glob Health 2024; 14:22-34. [PMID: 38466368 PMCID: PMC11043315 DOI: 10.1007/s44197-024-00190-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a disease of poverty that imposes a devastating medical, social, and economic burden on over 1 billion people nationwide. To date, no in-depth study to analyze the major global challenges and needs assessment has been carried out. This investigation aimed to explore a comprehensive narrative review of leishmaniasis's main challenges and initially highlight obstacles that might impede the implementation of control measures. Also, we propose a specific list of priorities for needs assessment. The presence of socioeconomic factors, multiple clinical and epidemiological forms, various Leishmania species, the complexity of the life cycle, the absence of effective drugs and vaccines, and the lack of efficient vector and reservoir control make this organism unique and sophisticated in playing a tangled role to react tricky with its surrounding environments, despite extensive efforts and implementation of all-inclusive former control measures. These facts indicate that the previous strategic plans, financial support, and basic infrastructures connected to leishmaniasis surveillance are still insufficient. Strengthening the leishmaniasis framework in a context of accelerated programmatic action and intensification of cross-cutting activities along with other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is confidently expected to result in greater effectiveness, cost-benefit, and fruitful management. Sensitive diagnostics, effective therapeutics, and efficacious vaccines are vital to accelerating advancement toward elimination, and reducing morbidity/mortality and program costs. Collective actions devoted by all sectors and policy-makers can hopefully overcome technical and operational barriers to guarantee that effective and coordinated implementation plans are sustained to meet the road map for NTDs 2021- 2030 goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Bamorovat
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Iraj Sharifi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Ahmad Khosravi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | | | | | - Ehsan Salarkia
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Sharifi
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Behnaz Aflatoonian
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Faranak Gharachorloo
- Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Khamesipour
- Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Omid Zamani
- Universal Health Coverage for Communicable Diseases (UHC: CD), World Health Organization, Country Office, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Shirzadi
- Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Gouya
- Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
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Bamorovat M, Sharifi I, Aflatoonian MR, Salarkia E, Agha Kuchak Afshari S, Pourkhosravani M, Karamoozian A, Khosravi A, Aflatoonian B, Sharifi F, Divsalar H, Amiri B, Shirzadi MR. A prospective longitudinal study on the elimination trend of rural cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeastern Iran: Climate change, population displacement, and agricultural transition from 1991 to 2021. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169684. [PMID: 38160824 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a complex disease. Any change in weather conditions affects the humans' social and agricultural expansion and, consequently, the parasite's life cycle in terms of ecology, biodiversity, social stigma, and exclusion. This population-based prospective longitudinal investigation was conducted between 1991 and 2021 in a well-defined CL (cutaneous leishmaniasis) focus in Bam County, southeastern Iran. A robust health clinic and health surveillance system were responsible for the ongoing systematic documentation, detection, identification, and management of CL cases. The exponential smoothing method via the state space model was used in the univariate time series. The TTR, smooth, and forecast packages were used in R software. Landsat satellite images from 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021 were employed in the physical development. During this period, the temperature increased while the rainfall and humidity decreased. The findings showed a downward trend in the standardized drought index. Also, the results showed that climate warming and ecological changes profoundly affected the area's agricultural patterns and topographical features. Furthermore, the last three decades witnessed an elimination trend for zoonotic CL (ZCL) and the predominance of anthroponotic CL (ACL). The present findings showed that the critical factors in the predominance of ACL and elimination of ZCL were rising temperature, drought, migration, unplanned urbanization, earthquake, and agrarian reform. The wall-enclosed palm tree gardens excluded the primary ZCL reservoir host. They controlled the disease while providing suitable conditions for the emergence/re-emergence of ACL in the newly established settlements and the unplanned ecozone. Therefore, robust health infrastructures, sustained financial support, and evidence-based research studies are crucial to facilitating the necessary surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation to control and eliminate the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Bamorovat
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Iraj Sharifi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
| | | | - Ehsan Salarkia
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | | | | | - Ali Karamoozian
- Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ahmad Khosravi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Behnaz Aflatoonian
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Sharifi
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hassan Divsalar
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Behzad Amiri
- Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Shirzadi
- Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
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Ghatee MA, Sharifi I, Mohammadi N, Moghaddam BE, Kohansal MH. Geographical and climatic risk factors of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the hyper-endemic focus of Bam County in southeast Iran. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1236552. [PMID: 38026324 PMCID: PMC10680988 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1236552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a prevalent debilitating disease in many countries, particularly in Iran, the Middle East, North Africa, and South America. Bam County is the most important highly endemic focus of anthropometric CL in Iran and has been under consideration by WHO. This study investigated the environmental and geographic factors affecting the occurrence and distribution of CL in this focus. Methods Demographic data and the home addresses of CL patients diagnosed from 2015 to 2020 were retrieved from the Leishmaniasis Center of Bam in southeast Iran. The effects of mean annual rainfall (MAR), mean annual humidity (MAH), mean annual temperature (MAT), maximum annual temperature (MaxMAT), minimum annual temperature (MinMAT), mean annual humidity (MAH), mean annual evaporation (MAE), mean annual frosty days (MAFD), mean annual snowy hours (MASH), elevation, and land cover on the distribution of CL were analyzed using geographical information systems (GIS) and univariate and multivariate regression models. Results Of 847 patients studied, 50.9% (n = 431) were female and 49.1% (n = 416) were male. The age classes 0-10 (n = 246) and 11-20 (n = 145) showed the highest frequency of patients, respectively. Leishmaniasis patients were reported from 66 villages/cities (11.8%) out of 561 residential areas in Bam County. Univariate analysis showed that urban settings (OR = 21.66), agriculture (OR = 5.73), orchards (OR = 5), salty land (OR = 1.05), and temperatures (OR = 2.37, 2.79 and 3.47) had positive effects on CL occurrence (p < 0.05), while altitude, precipitation, humidity, evaporation, and the number of frozen days had negative effects. Multivariate analysis identified urban settings (OR = 13.6), orchards (OR = 6.29), agriculture (OR = 5.82), and minimum temperature (OR = 2.38) as the most significant determinants of CL occurrence in this region. Conclusion Environmental and ecological factors play an important role in the distribution of CL in Bam County. The high-risk zones for CL are cities/large villages, agricultural and orchard areas in lower altitudes and with warmer climates and lower rainfall and humidity. This model can guide researchers and health managers to properly conduct CL control programs and allocate budgets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Amin Ghatee
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
| | - Iraj Sharifi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Niloufar Mohammadi
- Student Research Committee, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Hasan Kohansal
- School of Medicine, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Shams M, Rashidi A, Mohamadi J, Moradi M, Pakzad R, Naserifar R, Abdi J, Ghelichi F, Bozorgomid A, Maspi N, Kenarkoohi A, Mohammadi Y, Abdoli A, Falahi S. Real-time impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cutaneous leishmaniasis case finding and strategic planning, preventive interventions, control and epidemiology in a region with a high burden of cutaneous leishmaniasis and COVID-19: A cross-sectional descriptive study based on registry data in Ilam-Iran. Health Sci Rep 2023; 6:e1489. [PMID: 37599657 PMCID: PMC10432587 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a severe parasitic disease affecting people, mostly in underdeveloped nations. As a zoonotic infection yearly incidence of CL depends on several parameters such as demographic, epidemiological, and environmental factors as well as prevention and control measures. The sudden outbreak of pandemics such as SARS-Corona-Virus-2 pandemic, can probably affect the incidence or reporting of other diseases, especially infectious diseases, in various ways such as pressure on health systems, providing sanitary services and its components, lockdowns and changes in people's living habits. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the COVID-19 impact on the incidence and other epidemiological aspects as well as control measures of CL in Ilam Province-Iran. Methods Required data was extracted from the CL registration system in Ilam from 2014 to 2021 to demonstrate the trend of CL incidence before and after COVID-19 pandemic. Results Based on our results, a declining pattern of CL incidence was observed, accompanied by the advent and intensification of the viral pandemic in Iran and Ilam province. Although, this decreasing pattern was not integral in all areas, and even increase in CL detection was emphasized in some regions. Conclusion It may be inferred that the COVID-19 pandemic may disrupt treatment programs of CL cases, rodent nest destruction, and fighting vector insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morteza Shams
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
| | - Ayoub Rashidi
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
- Public Health Staff, Infectious Diseases Control UnitIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
| | - Jasem Mohamadi
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emam Khomeini HospitalIlam University of Medical sciencesIlamIran
| | - Mohamad Moradi
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emam Khomeini HospitalIlam University of Medical sciencesIlamIran
| | - Reza Pakzad
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
| | - Razi Naserifar
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
| | - Jahangir Abdi
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
| | - Fariba Ghelichi
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
| | - Arezoo Bozorgomid
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Health InstituteKermanshah University of Medical SciencesKermanshahIran
| | - Nahid Maspi
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
| | - Azra Kenarkoohi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of MedicineIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
| | | | - Amir Abdoli
- Zoonoses Research CenterJahrom University of Medical SciencesJahromIran
| | - Shahab Falahi
- Zoonotic Diseases Research CenterIlam University of Medical SciencesIlamIran
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Mazaherifar S, Solhjoo K, Abdoli A. Outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jahrom, an endemic region in southwest of Iran. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:2218-2221. [PMID: 35998176 PMCID: PMC9542410 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2117099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has a considerable effect on the burden of other diseases. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic parasitic disease in Iran. Here, we report an outbreak of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jahrom county, which is an endemic region in the southwest of Iran. Before the pandemic, the annual occurrence of CL was less than 240 cases per year, while the number of cases increased to 307 and 771 cases in the first and second years after the pandemic, respectively. Molecular detection of some isolates identified Leishmania major. The rodent control program was completely interrupted during the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak in Jahrom (February to December 2020), then the program restarted again as routine from the summer of 2021 till now. Interrupted rodent control program along with inadequate screening programs of CL patients were probably one of the causes of this outbreak in Jahrom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh Mazaherifar
- Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran.,Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Kavous Solhjoo
- Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran.,Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Amir Abdoli
- Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran.,Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
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