Emerging Evidence of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Kahak County, Qom Province, Central Part of Iran

Introduction: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a systemic parasitic disease that can be fatal if left untreated. In Iran, Leishmania infantum is the causative agent of Mediterranean type of VL, transmitted to humans via the bite of infected Phlebotomine sandflies from animal reservoir hosts. This study aimed to introduce a new focus of VL in children up to ۱۳ years old as well as domestic dogs, in Kahak County, Qom Province, during ۲۰۲۲-۲۰۲۳. Materials & Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out involving ۳۱۶ human serum samples (children under ۱۳ years) and ۵۰ domestic dogs selected through simple random sampling. Blood samples were collected and analyzed using the direct agglutination test (DAT) to detect anti-Leishmania antibodies. Samples with anti-Leishmania antibody titers of ۱:۸۰۰ or higher were retested after ۲-۳ weeks for confirmation. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version ۲۲, utilizing Fisher’s exact test, with a significance level of P<۰.۰۵. Results: Out of ۳۱۶ human samples, five showed suspicious anti-L. infantum antibody titers of ۱:۸۰۰, and two samples showed positive titers of ۱:۱۶۰۰ and ۱:۳۲۰۰, indicating seropositive infection. Among the ۵۰ canine samples, two showed anti-Leishmania antibody titers of ۱:۳۲۰. Repeat testing after several weeks confirmed the initial results. The two seropositive human cases were a ۷-year-old boy and an ۸-year-old girl, both presenting with symptoms such as weakness, paleness, lethargy and hepatosplenomegaly, with no history travelling to other VL endemic areas. These patients were referred to the Health center of the studied area for physical examinations and necessary treatment.Conclusion: This study showed that VL occurs at a low prevalence among children up to ۱۳ years old in the studied area. Thus, enhancing the awareness of healthcare professionals and public health officials is essential,along with the establishment of a surveillance system for this potentially fatal disease.

کلیدواژه ها:

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) ، Human ، Dog ، New focus ، Iran