Climate Variables Related to the Incidence of Human Leishmaniosis in Montenegro in Southeastern Europe during Seven Decades (1945–2014)

Abstract

Leishmaniosis (or leishmaniasis) is a neglected parasitosis most commonly transmitted by the sandfly bite. Changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity can greatly affect the vectors and reservoir hosts. This study aimed to determine the association between temperature, air humidity, and weather conditions with the incidence of leishmaniasis in Montenegro during a seven-decade period (1945–2014) and to statistically compare and correlate the obtained data. In the studied period, there were 165 registered cases of leishmaniosis, 96.4%, in the coastal and central region of Montenegro, with an average incidence rate of 0.45/100.000. The visceral form of leishmaniosis predominated (99% of the cases), with only one case of cutaneous disease. Climate factors (average temperature, air humidity, and precipitation) had an impact on the occurrence of leishmaniosis in Montenegro. Air temperature elevated by 1 °C in all regions of Montenegro was significantly correlated with an increased incidence of leishmaniosis, by 0.150 (0.013 to 0.287; p < 0.05). In order to improve prevention and control of this disease, it is also necessary to investigate other factors with a possible impact on the number of cases of this neglected parasitosis.

The Impact of Climatological Factors on the Incidence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) in Colombian Municipalities from 2017 to 2019

“…The average monthly maximum temperature also showed moderate negative correlations in San José del Guaviare and Tumaco. A few significant relationships between temperature variables and CL incidence were found in the remaining municipalities, mostly negative, which aligned with findings from other studies [ 21 , 22 , 24 , 60 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 ]. This corresponds with the finding of increased longevity of certain Phlebotomine sand fly species in Colombia with temperature reduction, thereby enhancing their vectorial capacity by increasing encounter rates [ 66 ].…”

“…In Sri Lanka, humidity and maximum temperature positively correlate with leishmaniasis, whereas other regions show negative correlations with temperature. In Central America, temperature and rainfall are linked to high disease prevalence, and in the Amazon, both positive and negative relationships between climatic factors and CL incidence are observed [ 11 , 12 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

The changing epidemiology of human leishmaniasis in the non-endemic country of Austria between 2000 to 2021, including a congenital case

“…Human leishmaniasis, particularly CL, appears to be on the rise in Europe and the Mediterranean region in recent years [10,[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]. In Austria, an increasing number of cases have been observed in recent years, although exact data are not available due to the lack of a mandatory notification system or a central register.…”

“…A possible explanation for the higher frequency of serological diagnostics could be a heightened awareness or sensitivity among physicians regarding the disease. This could presumably have been elicited by the higher numbers of leishmaniasis patients physicians had encountered in the antecedent years, particularly since 2015, but could also be due to the increasing numbers of publications assessing leishmaniasis incidences in European countries [10,[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]. In addition, serological surveillance studies conducted in asymptomatic Austrian military personnel, who had been deployed in the Kosovo, Syria, Lebanon or Bosnia and Herzegovina, revealed an unexpectedly high seroprevalence of antibodies against Leishmania [30][31][32][33].…”

Prevalence of Visceral Leishmaniasis among Wildlife Rangers in Dinder National Park, Sudan

“…It is transmitted through the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies and primarily affects internal organs such as the spleen, liver, and bone marrow [2,3]. With an estimated 50,000 to 90,000 new cases annually, VL is a significant public health concern, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions where environmental conditions favor the sandfly vectors and the reservoirs of the parasite [2, [4][5][6] .…”