Gashaw Bizuayehu, Yizengaw Endalew, Nibret Endalkachew, Workineh Addisu, Abebe Adisu
Amhara National Regional State Health Bureau, Bahir Dar; Department of Biology, College of Science, Bahir Dar University.
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Science, Bahir Dar University; Institute of Biotechnology, Bahir Dar University.
Dermatol Reports. 2025 Feb 6;17(1). doi: 10.4081/dr.2024.10089. Epub 2024 Nov 4.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is caused by Leishmania parasites. Ethiopia is one of the top ten countries with a high CL load, and Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) is one of the CL hotspot areas in the country. This study examined cutaneous leishmaniasis's epidemiology and clinical profiles in the ANRS region. It was conducted from April to October 2023 across eight Leishmaniasis Treatment Centres (LTCs). A data review was done from patients presenting to these centers between June 2018 and July 2023. Chi-square test and logistic regression were performed using SPSS-23. A total of 1729 patients with CL were recorded, resulting in an overall burden of 8.6 cases per 10,000 outpatients. Patients were from 112 districts, and most of them (71.1%) presented with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL). Approximately 12% of patients lived with the disease for over a year without treatment, while 13.2% of patients were multiple-time comers. Cutaneous leishmaniasis continues to be a significant public health issue in the ANRS region. Approximately onethird of CL patients exhibit the mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) clinical form. There has been a notable delay among CL patients in seeking diagnosis and treatment. It is essential to conduct large-scale community-based studies and studies focused on both traditional and modern treatment centers to accurately estimate the prevalence of CL in the region. Follow-up and molecular studies are crucial for enhancing our understanding of the clinical features of the disease. Furthermore, raising community awareness about CL prevention and control can help patients obtain early diagnosis and treatment.
皮肤利什曼病(CL)由利什曼原虫寄生虫引起。埃塞俄比亚是CL负担较高的十大国家之一,阿姆哈拉民族州(ANRS)是该国CL的热点地区之一。本研究调查了ANRS地区皮肤利什曼病的流行病学和临床特征。研究于2023年4月至10月在八个利什曼病治疗中心(LTCs)开展。对2018年6月至2023年7月期间到这些中心就诊的患者进行了数据回顾。使用SPSS - 23进行卡方检验和逻辑回归分析。共记录了1729例CL患者,每10000名门诊患者中的总体负担为8.6例。患者来自112个地区,其中大多数(71.1%)表现为局限性皮肤利什曼病(LCL)。约12%的患者患病一年以上未接受治疗,而13.2%的患者为多次就诊者。皮肤利什曼病在ANRS地区仍然是一个重大的公共卫生问题。约三分之一的CL患者表现为黏膜皮肤利什曼病(MCL)临床类型。CL患者在寻求诊断和治疗方面存在明显延迟。开展大规模的社区研究以及针对传统和现代治疗中心的研究对于准确估计该地区CL的患病率至关重要。随访和分子研究对于加深我们对该疾病临床特征的理解至关重要。此外,提高社区对CL预防和控制的认识有助于患者获得早期诊断和治疗。