Socioeconomic, demographic and landscape factors associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects countries in the developing world. In Sri Lanka, cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of the disease. It is prevalent in dry and intermediate zones, mostly associated with rural settings. Understanding basic risk factors is critical in the management of the disease with effective interventions. This study is focused on assessing the demographic, socioeconomic and landscape factors associated with leishmaniasis in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Households of the past patients and randomly selected households, which had no history of leishmaniasis cases were interviewed. The clinical, socioeconomic, demographic, landscape and awareness-related data were obtained using a pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Results: A total of 101 patients and a similar number of controls were included in the study. All the patients had the cutaneous form of the disease. Housewives and personnel with monthly incomes less than Rs. 10,000 (56.76 USD) were 3.9-and 9.5-times more prone to the disease, respectively, according to multivariate analysis. Presence of decaying garbage, termite hills, unclear areas, wet soil and gardening areas were always associated with the increased odds of acquiring the disease. Conclusions: Demographic factors do not play a pivotal role in the prevalence of leishmaniasis in the area. Housewives, inhabitants with low incomes and individuals who live in areas with conditions suitable for sand fly breeding and resting are major groups with a higher risk of infection. Special attention must be given in raising awareness and environmental management in control activities.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Outbreak Investigation in Hajjah Governorate, Yemen, in 2018: Case-Control Study

“…Furthermore, there was an association between plantations around the house and CL. This finding is consistent with the findings of studies from Kenya, Amran, Waziristan, Sri Lanka, and Palestine [2,12,19,24,25] [22]. Additionally, having an animal barn inside or close to the house was associated with CL, which has been reported in other studies from Taiz, Amran, and Turkey [8,12,20], but not in a study from Thailand in 2016 [22].…”

Determinants of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis by case-control study in Morocco

“…The risk of developing ACL is four times higher in married than single people in the study area. Although marital status showed significant association with the disease (married people are protected to be affected) in Sri Lanka, it cannot significantly predict the disease incidence [53]. These significant statistic relationships in the univariate analysis are likely to be a result of confounding effects [54], which is not the case of the present study because of the use of regression models [54].…”

Determinants of cutaneous leishmaniasis among students in Delanta district, Northeast Ethiopia: A case–control study

“… 43 The same association between CL and plantation around houses was observed in Yemen 33 and with the presence of a gardening area in Sri Lanka. 35 In addition, studies conducted in Ethiopia showed that plants, dry river banks, farm fields, and dry irrigation tanks are the preferred breeding sites of sand flies. 44 …”

“…43 The same association between CL and plantation around houses was observed in Yemen 33 and with the presence of a gardening area in Sri Lanka. 35 In addition, studies conducted in Ethiopia showed that plants, dry river banks, farm fields, and dry irrigation tanks are the preferred breeding sites of sand flies. 44 Furthermore, the likelihood of developing CL in those who reside in areas where hyraxes have existed was 2.4 times (AOR = 2.43; 95% CI: 1.16-5.08) higher than in those who reside in hyrax-free areas.…”