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