Public health & Epidemiology

Spatiotemporal Pattern and future epidemicsof Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in District Upper and Lower Dir,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

                                Naveeda Akhtar Qureshi ,   Ismail Zaib

                                Quaid -i-Azam University, Pakistan

                                            

The present study was designed to find out the clinico-epidemiological status and effect of associated climatic factors such as elevation, precipitation, and temperature on CL inDistrict Upper and Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.A geographic database was constructed and the five years record (2014-2018) of CL data along with demographic coordinates of patients were plotted in maps elevation, precipitation, and temperaturemaps using ArcGIS v10.3 software. The geodatabase for Inverse density weight interpolation was also generated to assess the spatial risk of CL infection in the study area.Consecutively the trend of CL cases was elevated from 2014 to 2016 except 2017-18. CL cases were higher in spring (28%) affecting both gendersequally,however, children <20 years of age were greatly affected.Facial parts were highly affected (51%) than the body (6.3%) and mixed regions(42.7%).Single lesions were (56%) followed by double (27%), triple (9%), and mixed lesions(7%). The duration and size of CL lesions were significantly associated (P<0.0001). Most of the lesions were 2cm (32%) registered under a one-year duration and the most disfiguring lesions were 5cm (9%)of > 1-year duration. The burden of CL was high in the least elevated parts of the Lower Dir regionshowed the greatest association with the highest temperature and moderate precipitation. The inverse distance weighting interpolation (IDW) showed that Balambat > Khal > Temergara of Lower Dir district wasthe most threatened foci forthe CL infection which add the risk of future epidemics in near villages. Control strategies should be planned to restrict the future CL transmission.

 

Biography

 

Naveeda Akhtar Qureshi  is working as an Associate Professor and iis superviosing MPhil and PhD studants in the field  of Parasitology  and  entomology. She produces a number of publications in highly inpact factor journals  

Presenting author details
Full name:  Naveeda Akhtar Qureshi
Contact number: +923315898409
Category: (Oral presentation/ Poster presentation) Oral Presentation

Author(s): Naveeda Qureshi

Abstract | PDF

Share This Article