Description of a new epidemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis major in western burkina faso

Abstract

Introduction: in Burkina Faso, the only epidemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis confirmed in the literature by lab tests was in Ouagadougou. We report the epidemiological, clinical and biological results of the assessment of a new epidemic focus in Laram a in western Burkina Faso. Methods: camps were used to receive patients. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using a questionnaire. Confirmation was based on microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: a total of 108 suspected cases have been identified in Larama, reflecting an attack rate of 5.8%. Sex ratio was 1.08. The patients were most often farmers (35.2%) and traders (33.3%). The working population (15-49 years old) accounted for 51.9%. The number of lesions varied between 1 and 5 in 91.7% of the cases. The lesions manifested as raised and infiltrated ulcerative lesions on the limbs (87%) with evolution ranging from 1 to 5 months in 96.3% of the cases. Samples were collected from two patients; microscopy showed leishmanias and PCR confirmed Leishmania major. Conclusion: our results confirm the presence of a cutaneous leishmaniasis major outbreak in the western part of the country. Additional surveys are needed to clarify the burden of leishmaniasis in Burkina Faso.