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**15** 

**Retrospective Analysis of Leishmaniasis in** 

**Central Tunisia: An Update on Emerging** 

Akila Fathallah Mili1,3, Fatma Saghrouni1, Zeineb BenSaid2, Yusr Saadi- BenAoun3, Ikram Guizani3 and Moncef BenSaid1

*3Laboratory of Parasitic Epidemiology and Ecology (LEEP) - LR00SP04,* 

This study aimed at describing the spatio-temporal distribution of leishmaniasis in patients who have sought diagnosis in the laboratory of Parasitology of Farhat Hached hospital, Sousse, Tunisia, across the 1986-2010 period in order to: **i)** highlight important features and trends of leishmaniasis and its epidemiology; **ii)** and to assess whether the activity of the unit reflects the situation of the disease at the national level and whether it could constitute

Tunisia is located in Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean sea between Algeria and Libya. Its climate is of the hot temperate Mediterranean type. Bioclimatic zones range from

The country is divided into 24 governorates, each composed of a variable number of "delegations"; and each delegation is subdivided into localities also named "imadas" (Figure 2). Four forms of leishmaniasis are known to occur in Tunisia: i) the sporadic cutaneous leishmaniasis (SCL); ii) the chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CCL); iii) the zoonotic

This form is caused by dermotropic zymodemes of *Leishmania infantum*, mainly the zymodeme MON 24 and to a lesser extent MON 1 (Aoun et al., 2000, 2008; Ben Ismail et al, 1986, 1992; Gramiccia et al., 1991; Haouas et al., 2007; Kallel et al., 2005, 2008b). The dog is supposed to be the reservoir as it is the case for the viscerotropic zymodemes and *Phlebotomus perfiliewi* as the phletotomine vector. But other vectors can not be excluded; following an outbreak of SCL in the locality of Oued Souani, le Kef governorate, *P. langeroni*

**1. Introduction** 

an indicator of public health relevance.

**2. Current situation of leishmaniasis in Tunisia** 

**2.1 The sporadic cutaneous leishmaniasis (SCL)** 

was found infected by *L. infantum* (Guerbouj et al., 2007).

humid in the north to saharian in the extreme south (Figure 1).

cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL); iv) the visceral leishmaniasis (VL).

*1Laboratory of Parasitology, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse 2Service of Dermatology, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse* 

**Epidemiological Trends** 

*Institut Pasteur, Tunis* 

*Tunisia* 

