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Natural history of a visceral leishmaniasis outbreak in highland Ethiopia

Herrero, Mercè ; Orfanos, Ioannis LU orcid ; Argaw, Daniel ; Mulugeta, Abate ; Aparicio, Pilar ; Parreño, Fernando ; Bernal, Oscar ; Rubens, Daniel ; Pedraza, Jaime and Lima, Maria Angeles , et al. (2009) In American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 81(3). p.373-377
Abstract

In May 2005, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was recognized for the first time in Libo Kemken, Ethiopia, a highland region where only few cases had been reported before. We analyzed records of VL patients treated from May 25, 2005 to December 13, 2007 by the only VL treatment center in the area, maintained by Médecins Sans Frontières-Ethiopia, Operational Center Barcelona-Athens. The median age was 18 years; 77.6% were male. The overall case fatality rate was 4%, but adults 45 years or older were five times as likely to die as 5-29 year olds. Other factors associated with increased mortality included HIV infection, edema, severe malnutrition, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and vomiting. The VL epidemic expanded rapidly over a several-year period,... (More)

In May 2005, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was recognized for the first time in Libo Kemken, Ethiopia, a highland region where only few cases had been reported before. We analyzed records of VL patients treated from May 25, 2005 to December 13, 2007 by the only VL treatment center in the area, maintained by Médecins Sans Frontières-Ethiopia, Operational Center Barcelona-Athens. The median age was 18 years; 77.6% were male. The overall case fatality rate was 4%, but adults 45 years or older were five times as likely to die as 5-29 year olds. Other factors associated with increased mortality included HIV infection, edema, severe malnutrition, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and vomiting. The VL epidemic expanded rapidly over a several-year period, culminating in an epidemic peak in the last third of 2005, spread over two districts, and transformed into a sustained endemic situation by 2007.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
volume
81
issue
3
pages
373 - 377
publisher
American Society of Tropcial Medicine & Hygiene
external identifiers
  • pmid:19706898
  • scopus:69249184610
ISSN
0002-9637
DOI
10.4269/ajtmh.2009.81.373
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
f3df45cb-d4dd-476a-ab72-70d379369093
date added to LUP
2021-09-01 16:07:52
date last changed
2025-06-02 00:27:15
@article{f3df45cb-d4dd-476a-ab72-70d379369093,
  abstract     = {{<p>In May 2005, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was recognized for the first time in Libo Kemken, Ethiopia, a highland region where only few cases had been reported before. We analyzed records of VL patients treated from May 25, 2005 to December 13, 2007 by the only VL treatment center in the area, maintained by Médecins Sans Frontières-Ethiopia, Operational Center Barcelona-Athens. The median age was 18 years; 77.6% were male. The overall case fatality rate was 4%, but adults 45 years or older were five times as likely to die as 5-29 year olds. Other factors associated with increased mortality included HIV infection, edema, severe malnutrition, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and vomiting. The VL epidemic expanded rapidly over a several-year period, culminating in an epidemic peak in the last third of 2005, spread over two districts, and transformed into a sustained endemic situation by 2007.</p>}},
  author       = {{Herrero, Mercè and Orfanos, Ioannis and Argaw, Daniel and Mulugeta, Abate and Aparicio, Pilar and Parreño, Fernando and Bernal, Oscar and Rubens, Daniel and Pedraza, Jaime and Lima, Maria Angeles and Flevaud, Laurence and Palma, Pedro Pablo and Bashaye, Seife and Alvar, Jorge and Bern, Caryn}},
  issn         = {{0002-9637}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{373--377}},
  publisher    = {{American Society of Tropcial Medicine & Hygiene}},
  series       = {{American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene}},
  title        = {{Natural history of a visceral leishmaniasis outbreak in highland Ethiopia}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2009.81.373}},
  doi          = {{10.4269/ajtmh.2009.81.373}},
  volume       = {{81}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}