Present Status of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Hyraxes and Phlebotomus Longipes in Meta Abo, Sebeta

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1988-06

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

Study on the present status of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), hyraxes and Phlebotomus longipes was made from March, 1987 to April, 1988. A house to house survey on the popUlation (1129 persons) of Meta Abo hills revealed 13 active cases (11.5/1000 and 43 (38/1000) individuals with scars of CL. Of all changes in human attributes during the past seventeen years, the recently started villagization seems to have a reducing tendency on prevalence. Active cases were found aggregated around hyrax habitats and most common in youth and middle ages. Males were more affected by the disease than females. It was, therefore, suggested that most infections probably occurred near hyrax habitats. From a year round field observation on hyraxes, it was demonstrated that hyraxes produced youngs twice a year (i.e. in October and March) and that their low diel activity occurred mainly in the early mornings and late afternoons. Hyraxes of the area were seen in small colonies (2-8) and were not abundant (about 23 individuals in two habitats). Ten hyraxes were trapped from two of the three selected hyrax habitats. Although all specimens displayed characteristic features of Heterohyrax spp., variation in form was observed between the two populations seen in Meta Abo area. Five specimens were examined for leishmanial infection but all turned negative. Population estimates of Phlebotomus longipes have shown a unimodal peak in August and September. Low population occurred during the dry months, namely, December to January. Dissections of 834 females revealed a bimodal distribution of parous rates. One peak occurred at the end of the dry months (December and January) and the other in May and June. This may indicate two distinct generations in a year. Only lout 514 (0.2%) females (fed, gravid and parous) collected from the three sites was found infected with leishmanial parasites. From the population estimates and distribution of parous rates, it was concluded that the peak transmission season was in August and September.

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Biology

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