ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was the detection of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases at Turunçlu and Hocallı Villages, Ada-na, Turkey, where local cases had been observed in recent years, and to determine possible vectors and their seasonal density distribution. This was for the purpose of encouraging public awareness and thus leading to prevention. An initial questionnaire was responded by 567 people, with a male-to-female ratio of 45% to 55%. The physician in the research group examined the whole population of both villages for CL and then made monthly visits in order to detect new cases. Adhesive paper traps and CDC light traps were placed in houses and animal stables in order to collect sand-flies, whose species were later determined in the laboratory. The CL prevalence was found to be 7.2%, with 30 old cases and11 new cases. The number of cases in the Tu-runçlu Village was high with 17 men and 24 women affected. The case frequencies were not different between men and women (p>0.05). The houses being whitewashed or kind of animal feeding were not found to affect the frequency of CL. In the two vil-lages, 88 Phlebotomus were detected. P. papatasi and P. tobbi were of the genus Phlebotomus, while the genus Sergentomia was also observed. P.papatasi was most frequent in adhesive paper traps, while P.tobbi was frequent in light traps.

Keywords: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Phlebotomus, Population density