Background & objectives: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is still a public health threat in many rural areas of Iran. It causes considerable morbidity among a huge number of people in the endemic areas. Khuzestan is considered as a CL focus in Iran and recently several cases have been reported from Shush County. The aim of the current study was to determine different aspects of CL epidemiology in this County.
Methods: The study was conducted in four villages in the rural district of Shush County. In order to survey the scar and acute rate of the disease, 100 inhabitants were questioned in each village. In addition, to determine the reservoir host and vector of the disease, rodents were captured using Sherman traps, and sandflies were collected from around the rodent burrows using sticky paper traps.
Results: The scar and acute lesion rates were reported as 5.26 and 0.57% among inhabitants, respectively. Fifty-four rodents including Tatera indica (55.5%), Nesokia indica (33.3%), Mus musculus (9.3%) and Rattus norvegicus (1.9%) were captured and identified. Nested PCR showed 3 out of 54 rodents infected with Leishmania major. In total, 1122 sandflies were collected, and Leishmania major detected in Phlebotomus papatasi (4.35%), Sergentomyia dentata (23%), and Sergentomyia clydei (10%).
Interpretation & conclusion: Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis due to L. major prevailed in this area. The common and the main vector was Ph. papatasi and, T. indica seems to be the main while N. indica as a secondary reservoir host of the disease in this area.

中文翻译：

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伊朗西南部皮肤利什曼病流行病学调查

背景和目标：皮肤利什曼病 (CL) 仍然是伊朗许多农村地区的公共卫生威胁。它在流行地区的大量人群中引起相当大的发病率。Khuzestan 被认为是伊朗的 CL 重点，最近舒什县报告了几起病例。当前研究的目的是确定该县 CL 流行病学的不同方面。
方法：该研究在舒什县农村地区的四个村庄进行。为了调查该病的疤痕和急性发病率，每个村庄对100名居民进行了询问。此外，为了确定疾病的宿主和媒介，使用谢尔曼陷阱捕获啮齿动物，并使用粘纸陷阱从啮齿动物洞穴周围收集白蛉。
结果：据报道，居民的疤痕和急性病变率分别为 5.26% 和 0.57%。捕获并鉴定了包括籼稻(55.5%)、籼稻(33.3%)、小家鼠(9.3%) 和褐家鼠(1.9%)在内的 54 只啮齿动物。巢式 PCR 显示 54 只啮齿动物中有 3 只感染了大利什曼原虫。总共收集到 1122 只白蛉，在Phlebotomus papatasi (4.35%)、Sergentomyia dentata (23%) 和Sergentomyia clydei (10%) 中检测到主要利什曼原虫。解释与结论：人畜共患皮肤利什曼病是由
L. Major 在这方面占了上风。常见和主要的媒介是Ph. papatasi，T. indica似乎是该地区的主要病媒，而N. indica是该地区该病的次要宿主。