Human visceral leishmaniasis in northern Greece: Seroepidemiology and risk factors in endemic region

Autor: Efstratios Maltezos, Dionysia Theocharidou, Anna Papa, Theodoros C. Constantinidis
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
0301 basic medicine
Male
Endemic Diseases
Antibodies
Protozoan
0302 clinical medicine
Blood serum
Risk Factors
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Canine leishmaniasis
Dog Diseases
Leishmania infantum
Child
Asymptomatic Infections
Aged
80 and over
education.field_of_study
asymptomatic leishmaniasis
greece
leishmania
seroepidemiology
biology
Greece
General Medicine
Pets
Middle Aged
Infectious Diseases
Geography
Leishmaniasis
Visceral
Female
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
030231 tropical medicine
030106 microbiology
Population
lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
Dogs
Environmental health
medicine
Seroprevalence
Animals
Humans
lcsh:RC109-216
education
Aged
Public health
Leishmaniasis
DNA
Protozoan
medicine.disease
biology.organism_classification
Visceral leishmaniasis
Immunoglobulin G
Parasitology
Zdroj: Journal of Vector Borne Diseases, Vol 56, Iss 3, Pp 244-251 (2019)
ISSN: 0972-9062
Popis: Background & objectives: Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in Greece, with sporadic cases reported annually both in the mainland and in coastal areas. Seroepidemiological studies across Greece report seropositivity rates from 0.5 to 15%, in different parts of the country. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the Leishmania seropositivity rate of the general population of Drama prefecture, a rich in water supply region, in northern Greece. Methods: Serum samples collected from 347 healthy individuals were tested for IgG Leishmania infantum antibodies. Furthermore, 132 domestic dogs, clinically suspected to suffer from canine leishmaniasis, from all across the prefecture, were also evaluated. Results: Among 347 healthy individuals tested, 24 (6.9%) were positive for IgG L. infantum antibodies. Age, gender, occupational and leisure time activities didn’t show significant relation to IgG seropositivity, whereas low altitude of place of residency and residency at places with surface water were significantly related to IgG seropositivity. All seropositive individuals follow a geographic pattern, gathering themselves in Drama basin (rich in surface and underground water bodies), whereas canine leishmaniasis cases show a wide distribution across the prefecture. Interpretation & conclusion: Evaluation of both human seroprevalence and high incidence of canine leishmaniasis, as well as favorable landscape and climatic conditions of the study area, indicates that high level of clinical awareness need to be employed by physicians, as human and canine visceral leishmaniasis constitutes a serious public health concern.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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