First Report of the Visceral Leishmaniasis Vector<i>Phlebotomus martini</i>(Diptera: Psychodidae) in Tanzania

Clark, Jeffrey W.; Kioko, Elizabeth; Odemba, N.; Ngere, Francis G.; Oyugi, Eunice A.; Kerich, G.; Kimbita, Elikira; Bast, Joshua

doi:10.1603/me12147

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Phlebotomus martini (P. martini) was first described from Dire Dawa, Ethiopia; it has also been reported from Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, and recently from Tanzania [ 53 , 54 ]. It is incriminated as a vector of L. donovani in Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda [ 55 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia

et al. 2015

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Visceral leishmaniasis (VL, Kala-azar) is one of the growing public health challenges in Ethiopia with over 3.2 million people at risk and estimated up to 4000 new cases per year. Historically, VL was known as the diseases of the lowlanders; in the lower and upper Kola agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. The 2005–07 out breaks in highlands of Libo Kemkem and Fogera, in the Woina Degas, that affected thousands and claimed the life of hundreds misdiagnosed as drug resistance malaria marked that VL is no more the problem of the lowlanders. The Kola (lower and upper) and the Woina Dega are the most productive agroecological zones, supporting both the ongoing and planned expansions of large or small scale agriculture and/or agriculture based industries. Thus, the (re)emergence of VL is not only a public health and social problem but also have a direct implication on the country’s economy and further development. Thus is high time for its control and/or elimination. Yet, the available data seem incomplete to plan for a cost-effective and efficient VL control strategy: there is a need to update data on vector behaviour in specific ecosystems and the roles of domestic animals need to be ascertained. The effectiveness and social acceptability of available vector control tools need be evaluated. There is a need for identifying animal reservoir(s), or establish the absence of zoonosis in Ethiopia. The planning of prevention of (re)emergence and spread of VL to areas adjacent to endemic foci need be supported with information from spatio-temporal mapping. In affected communities, available data showed that their knowledge about VL is generally very low. Thus, well designed studies to identify risk factors, as well as better tools for social mobilization with the understanding of their knowledge, aptitude and practice towards VL are necessary.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia

et al. 2015

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Tropendermatologisch relevante Protozoeninfektionen, Wurmerkrankungen und Epizoonosen

Schliemann

2014

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Infectious diseases of the skin have become rarer in industrialized nations, but they still affect a considerable part of the population in tropical regions. Skin diseases induced by protozoa, worms and ectoparasites are among the 17 "neglected tropical diseases" defined by the WHO (leishmaniasis, dracunculiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis). Skin symptoms in travellers returning from the tropics may challenge dermatologists in Germany regarding differential diagnostic assessment and therapy. Among the 12 most frequent skin diseases in travellers are cutaneous larva migrans, leishmaniasis and myiasis. In this review, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of some the most relevant tropical dermatoses due to protozoa, worms and ectoparasites are discussed.

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Skin maculae, chronic diarrhea, cachexia, and splenomegaly—Late presentation of the first autochthonous case of visceral leishmaniasis in Tanzania

et al. 2021

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A 20-year-old man from Simanjiro district in northern Tanzania presented with a 3-year history of splenomegaly, fatigue, cachexia, skin maculae, and recent onset of watery diarrhea at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Northern Tanzania. Due to laboratory findings of pancytopenia, diagnostic workup included bone marrow aspiration cytology and biopsy. Although the rapid test (IT LEISH, rK39 RDT) was negative, blood smear showed amastigote forms of leishmaniasis in macrophages. Repeat bone marrow aspiration and PCR eventually confirmed visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The patient denied travel to known endemic areas of VL. Treatment was initiated with Amphotericin B, but the patient died on the fourth day of treatment from respiratory insufficiency. An autopsy revealed massive organ manifestations of VL. This is the first reported autochthonous case of VL in Tanzania. Clark and colleagues detected the vector Phlebotomus martini in Northern Tanzania in 2013, in a region bordering the district of our patient. The negative rapid test draws attention to the fact that sensitivity and specificity were found to be low in East African VL patients as displayed earlier by a Kenyan study. Therefore, tissue samples (spleen or bone marrow) remain necessary for diagnosis. The variety of symptoms in this presented case was remarkable, including the occurrence of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) and VL at the same time. This has been described in East African VL cases before as well as the occurrence of chronic diarrhea. An elongated undiagnosed period likely led to a mixed clinical picture that included hepato-splenomegaly, PKDL, cachexia, and diarrhea.

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First Report of the Visceral Leishmaniasis VectorPhlebotomus martini(Diptera: Psychodidae) in Tanzania

Cited by 3 publications

References 20 publications

Eco-epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia

Eco-epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia

Tropendermatologisch relevante Protozoeninfektionen, Wurmerkrankungen und Epizoonosen

Skin maculae, chronic diarrhea, cachexia, and splenomegaly—Late presentation of the first autochthonous case of visceral leishmaniasis in Tanzania

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