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. 2013 Nov;89(5):906-15.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0070. Epub 2013 Sep 23.

Leishmaniases in Greece

Pantelis Ntais  1 , Dimitra Sifaki-Pistola, Vasiliki Christodoulou, Ippokratis Messaritakis, Francine Pratlong, George Poupalos, Maria Antoniou
Affiliations

Leishmaniases in Greece

Pantelis Ntais et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013 Nov.

Abstract

Abstract. During the last 35 years, visceral leishmaniasis has spread in Greece with autochthonous human cases appearing in 41 of the 54 prefectures. The occurrence of the disease was mapped and related to dog seropositivity, environmental and geospatial risk factors. Average dog seropositivity was 22.1% and positive animals were found in 43 of 54 prefectures. Factors like: altitude, presence of water bodies, land use, wind speed, mean land surface temperature, mean relative humidity, and mean annual rainfall were found to affect dog seropositivity. Cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania tropica are also increasing. Phlebotomus similis believed to be the potential vector of L. tropica in Greece, was found in areas where the disease is widespread but also where cases have never been reported implying a danger of introduction of this anthroponotic parasite to new regions.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Map of Greece showing the terrain of the country and the 54 prefectures.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Geographical distribution of human leishmaniasis cases in Greece, between 2005 and 2010, in relation to percent dog seropositivity, Leishmania spp., and zymodeme (zymodeme: MON-1, MON-98 L. infantum; MON-300, MON-58, MON-57 L. tropica). (Key map: Attiki region showing the four prefectures). Only data with more than 60 examined dogs per prefecture were taken into account for the mapping of the results.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Recorded presence of phlebotomine sandflies in Greece.–
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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