Cecily Hilleary
April 22, 2013
Health workers in northern Syria have reported a dramatic rise in cases of Leishmaniasis–locally dubbed “Aleppo Button Disease” for the sores it produces–and are calling on the World Health Organization and other international agencies for help.
Causes and treatment
Leishmaniasis, transmitted through the bite of the common sandfly, is a complex of diseases affecting different parts of the body. The kind most commonly found in Syria is called cutaneous Leishmaniasis, which is characterized by welts or sores on the skin. These can sometimes become infected.
Mark
Sandfly
“Generally your immune system will control the parasite and eliminate it,” Wiser said, “and so for the most part, the disease is not life-threatening.”
However, he says, cutaneous Leishmaniasis can sometimes cause more serious problems affecting the spleen and the liver.
“And in that case, it’s very dangerous and the disease is likely to be fatal,” Wiser said.
Wiser says he is not surprised to learn about the rise in cases of Leishmaniasis in Syria, as wartime conditions can often compromise immune systems.
“And that might be why you are seeing it more in children, whose immune systems are less-developed, and then there’s going to be a lot of malnutrition, which also lowers immunity,” he said. “And if a person’s immune system is not fully able to handle the parasite then it could present fairly serious problems.”
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Syria