College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Gondar University, PO Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Parasit Vectors. 2009 Dec 2;2(1):60. doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-2-60.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in the highlands of Ethiopia, and almost always caused by Leishmania aethiopica. Hitherto, Addis Ababa (the capital city of Ethiopia) was not considered endemic for CL, mainly due to absence of epidemiological and field ecological studies. This report summarizes the preliminary epidemiological investigation that proved the existence of active transmission in southeastern Addis Ababa.
Active case finding surveys were conducted in 3 localities, Saris, Kality, and Akaki, which are found in and around Bulbula-Akaki river gorges. During the surveys conducted in January 2005 - May 2006, a total of 35 cases with 9 active and 26 healed skin lesions were identified. Eighteen of the cases (51.4%) were found in Saris; while 10 (28.6%) and 7 (20%) cases were from Kality and Akaki respectively.Ten colonies of rock hyraxes (Heterohyrax brucei) were identified in the vicinities of the 3 localities. Three of the 48 hyraxes (6.3%) trapped from the surroundings harbored natural infections of Leishmania aethiopica. Confirmation of the Leishmania species of the 3 isolates was achieved by PCR amplification and RFLP analysis of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Based on sandfly species composition and proximity of resting sites to human settlements, Phlebotomus longipes is circumstantially proven to be the vector of CL in south east Addis Ababa.
The study proves the existence of isolated zoonotic foci of CL in south eastern Addis Ababa, with P. longipes as the likely vector and H. brucei as the natural reservoir host.
皮肤利什曼病（CL）在埃塞俄比亚高地流行，几乎总是由利什曼原虫引起。迄今为止，埃塞俄比亚首都亚的斯亚贝巴（Addis Ababa）并不被认为是 CL 的流行地区，主要是因为缺乏流行病学和野外生态研究。本报告总结了初步的流行病学调查，证明了东南部亚的斯亚贝巴存在活跃的传播。
在 Saris、Kality 和 Akaki 这三个位于 Bulbula-Akaki 河峡谷内及周围的地方进行了主动病例发现调查。在 2005 年 1 月至 2006 年 5 月期间进行的调查中，共发现 35 例病例，其中 9 例为活动期皮损，26 例为愈合皮损。18 例（51.4%）病例来自 Saris；10 例（28.6%）和 7 例（20%）病例分别来自 Kality 和 Akaki。在这三个地方的附近发现了 10 个岩蹄兔（Heterohyrax brucei）群体。从周围环境中捕获的 48 只岩蹄兔中，有 3 只（6.3%）携带天然感染的利什曼原虫。通过对核糖体 DNA 内转录间隔区（ITS）序列的 PCR 扩增和 RFLP 分析，证实了这 3 个分离株的利什曼菌种。根据沙蝇种类组成和休息场所与人居地的接近程度，有充分证据表明长角血蜱是东南亚的斯亚贝巴 CL 的潜在媒介。
本研究证明了东南亚的斯亚贝巴存在孤立的人兽共患 CL 疫源地，长角血蜱可能是该病的媒介，岩蹄兔是其自然储存宿主。
