ABSTRACT
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in parts of Islamic Republic of Iran. A cross-sectional seroprevalence study was carried out in children in Booyerahmad district in the south-west of the country. Serum samples were taken from 1628 children up to 10 years old from different areas in Booyerahmad in 2005-06. AntiLeishmania antibody was detected in 50 out of 1628 children (3.1%) by direct agglutination test (antibody titre > or = 1:3200). There was no significant difference in seropositivity between the sexes (2.8% males and 3.3% females). The highest rate of infection (5.2%) was in the age group 10 years. Further studies are needed to explore the reservoirs and vectors of the disease in this region.
Subject(s)
Child Welfare/statistics & numerical data , Endemic Diseases/statistics & numerical data , Leishmaniasis, Visceral/epidemiology , Age Distribution , Animals , Chi-Square Distribution , Child , Child, Preschool , Cluster Analysis , Cross-Sectional Studies , Disease Reservoirs , Disease Vectors , Dogs , Female , Humans , Iran/epidemiology , Leishmaniasis, Visceral/blood , Leishmaniasis, Visceral/etiology , Leishmaniasis, Visceral/veterinary , Male , Population Surveillance , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Sex DistributionABSTRACT
Visceral leishmaniasis [VL] is endemic in parts of Islamic Republic of Iran. A cross-sectional seroprevalence study was carried out in children in Booyerahmad district in the south-west of the country. Serum samples were taken from 1628 children up to 10 years old from different areas in Booyerahmad in 2005-06. Anti-Leishmania antibody was detected in 50 out of 1628 children [3.1%] by direct agglutination test [antibody titre > 1:3200]. There was no significant difference in seropositivity between the sexes [2.8% males and 3.3% females]. The highest rate of infection [5.2%] was in the age group 10 years. Further studies are needed to explore the reservoirs and vectors of the disease in this region
