Epidemiological Profile of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Duhok Governorate during the Period from 2017 to 2022

Berivan Othman Rashid; SIRWAN MOHAMMED ASWAD; ALIND BANGEEN M.RASHID

Berivan Othman Rashid Lecturer , Family and community medicine department ,College of Medicine, University of Duhok,Kurdistan region , iraq
SIRWAN MOHAMMED ASWAD Lecturer at Family and Community Medicine Dept., Medicine College, Duhok University
ALIND BANGEEN M.RASHID Junior house officer at Azadi Teaching General Hospital, Duhok General Directorate of Health.

Keywords: Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Epidemiology, Duhok province, risk factors, lesions

Abstract

https://doi.org/10.31386/dmj.2026.20.2.1

Background and objective: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic disease in Iraq, mainly in central and southern regions. The disease is, however, uncommon or rare in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. After the summer of 2014, there was a massive displacement of population to Kurdistan, mainly from the central region to Duhok, which in 2013-2014 was the only governorate in Iraq with no cases of CL among the native population. The aim of this study is to investigate the characterizations of cases of CL during the period from 2017 to 2022 in Duhok governorate, by calculating the prevalence, risk factors, and prognosis of the cases.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using the records of reported CL cases at the Directorate of Preventive Health in Duhok governorate for the period from 2017 to 2022. The information collected included the type and place of the lesion, method of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis regarding cure rate, period of treatment, recurrence and other related issues.

Results: This study covered 261 reported cases of CL; the majority of cases were reported in individuals aged 40-44 years (20.3%), while no cases were reported in the 55-59 age groups. A higher proportion of cases occurred in males (57.5%). Housewives constituted the largest occupational group affected (24.8%), Most cases were reported from the Duhok governorate (93.9%), with a smaller percentage from Nineveh (6.1%). The highest number of cases was recorded in 2021, accounting for 61.3% of all cases and no cases were reported in 2020. More than half of the cases (136; 52.1%) had multiple boils; the upper limb was the affected region in 121 cases (46.4%). The diagnosis of CL was predominantly clinical ( (257 cases; 98.5%), and treated with balanced usage of different treatment regimens. Nearly half of the cases (121 cases: 46.4%,) reported exposure to animals. Difference in age distribution was significant, indicating that younger individuals were more prone to facial involvement. Individuals aged 1–19 years and 20–39 years had a higher proportion of multiple lesions (59.8% and 55.4%, respectively), whereas those aged 40 years and above were more likely to have single lesions (60%). Males had a slightly higher proportion of multiple lesions (55.3%). Housewives had the highest proportion of multiple lesions (62.5%), followed by soldiers (57.8%) and farmers (57.1%). In contrast, children (43.3%) and individuals in other jobs or unemployed categories (45.9%) were more likely to have single lesions.

Conclusion: Results of the present study indicated that CL is still not endemic in Duhok governorate, Moreover, appropriate educational programs focused on the transmission and preventive methods of the disease together with active surveillance to quickly detect and treat the cases are necessary to reduce the prevalence of Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).

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