Biomaterial Database

Anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kabul, Afghanistan: vertical distribution of cases in apartment blocks. 1998

S Hewitt, and H Reyburn, and R Ashford, and M Rowland

HealthNet International, Peshawar, N.W.F.P., Pakistan.

Owing to the civil war, the inhabitants of Kabul in Afghanistan are suffering a major epidemic of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) caused by Leishmania tropica. Surveys conducted among children in 2 high-rise apartment blocks in the city revealed that the prevalence of active lesions was much lower on upper stories: 84% lower in one block (chi 2 = 7.13, d.f. = 1, P = 0.008) and 54% lower in the other (chi 2 = 6.17, d.f. = 1, P = 0.01). Similar trends were apparent with regard to scars from old lesions. These results suggest that in Kabul most transmission of ACL takes place in the home. In addition, the results imply that there must be limited vertical movement of the vector within apartment blocks. Together, these findings suggest that indoor spraying should be an effective means of control and that insecticidal applications could probably be restricted to lower stories.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007303	Insect Vectors	Insects that transmit infective organisms from one host to another or from an inanimate reservoir to an animate host.	Insect Vector,Vector, Insect,Vectors, Insect
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D006306	Health Surveys	A systematic collection of factual data pertaining to health and disease in a human population within a given geographic area.	Abortion Surveys,Abortion Survey,Health Survey,Survey, Abortion,Survey, Health,Surveys, Abortion,Surveys, Health
D006798	Housing	Living facilities for humans.	Family-Patient Lodging,Patient-Family Lodging,Family Patient Lodging,Family-Patient Lodgings,Lodging, Family-Patient,Lodging, Patient-Family,Lodgings, Family-Patient,Lodgings, Patient-Family,Patient Family Lodging,Patient-Family Lodgings
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000346	Afghanistan	Country located north and west of Pakistan, and east of Iran. The capital is Kabul.
D015995	Prevalence	The total number of cases of a given disease in a specified population at a designated time. It is differentiated from INCIDENCE, which refers to the number of new cases in the population at a given time.	Period Prevalence,Point Prevalence,Period Prevalences,Point Prevalences,Prevalence, Period,Prevalence, Point,Prevalences
D016773	Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous	An endemic disease that is characterized by the development of single or multiple localized lesions on exposed areas of skin that typically ulcerate. The disease has been divided into Old and New World forms. Old World leishmaniasis is separated into three distinct types according to epidemiology and clinical manifestations and is caused by species of the L. tropica and L. aethiopica complexes as well as by species of the L. major genus. New World leishmaniasis, also called American leishmaniasis, occurs in South and Central America and is caused by species of the L. mexicana or L. braziliensis complexes.	Leishmaniasis, American,Leishmaniasis, New World,Leishmaniasis, Old World,Oriental Sore,American Leishmaniasis,Cutaneous Leishmaniases,Cutaneous Leishmaniasis,Leishmaniases, Cutaneous,New World Leishmaniasis,Old World Leishmaniasis,Sore, Oriental