Epidemic outbreak of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kohat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

- First molecular study of leishmaniasis in local population and internally displaced people coming from war affected zone.
- Identification of Leishmania species from CL affected patients and sandflies.
- Number of leishmaniasis cases has increased in the last few years during migration of IDPs from CL endemic areas.
- Molecular characterization revealed that cutaneous leishmaniasis has emerged as a major health problem in Kohat.

An epidemiological and molecular study was carried out for the first time in Kohat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Pakistan from April 2015 to May 2016 to determine the prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) in local population and Internally Displaced People (IDPs). In 13 different villages, a total of 1359 (out of 26,250 individuals belonging to local population) and 140 (out of 3615 IDPs residing in these villages) cases were recorded and 300 samples were collected. The total prevalence of CL in local population was 5.17% with active lesions and scar prevalence of 3.91% and 1.26% respectively. Similarly a prevalence of 3.86% for CL was recorded in IDPs. Highest number of IDPs having CL active lesions and scars were recorded in villages Sherkot, Surgul, and Jarma and their presence was positively correlated with CL in local population. Age wise prevalence was highest in young children of age group 1-15 years. The microscopic examination showed 64.33% (193/300) positive samples while kinteoplastic PCR showed 84.66% (254/300) positive. For the first time in KP province, 2/784 sandflies trapped from the study villages was found positive for Leishmania by PCR. Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism of patients and sandflies samples revealed L. tropica as the prevalent Leishmania species in this district. The results of sequencing and RFLP identified L. tropica in Phlebotomus sergenti. This is the first ever report of molecular identification of L. tropica from sandflies of genus P. sergenti in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This data can be helpful for health authorities in finding out new CL foci and to plan effective strategies for the provision of health facilities to poor people of this area.

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