Abstract
Background: The developing world encounter rising Leishmaniasis. Therefore, it remains a substantial public health burden in Iraq. A revised dataset on its prevalence and distribution are essential. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiological status of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Najaf Governorate and evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of included drugs. Methods: The investigation was conducted in several hospitals in Najaf City, Iraq from March 2023 to May 2025. Samples were collected from 275 suspected patients. Of these, 157 were confirmed to be infected with the disease (103 males and 54 females). Their ages ranged from 3 to 48 years. Results: Males constituted most of the total infections, accounting for 65.6% of cases, whereas females represented only 34.4%. Regarding distribution, Rural areas recorded the highest proportion of cases (71.34%), while urban areas comprised the remaining percentage (28.66%). Regarding monthly variation, January, February, March, and November represented the peak period, comprising 50.3% of the confirmed cases. Concerning lesion localization, facial lesions were the most common, representing 38.22% of the total cases. Conclusion: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is found among individuals in the surveyed hospitals, suggesting a significant health issue. Further research is necessary to determine the diseases spread across Iraq and to guide control measures.
Keywords
Subject
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.18502/ijpa.v21i1.21635
- Journal
- Iranian Journal of Parasitology, 21(1), 67-75
- Publisher
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences
- Open access
- Gold open access
- License
- CC BY-NC 4.0
Cite this article
APA 7
Neamah, B. A. H., Merza, F. A., & Saeed, H. M. (2026). Epidemiological and Evaluative Study of the Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Najaf Governorate, Iraq. Iranian Journal of Parasitology, 21(1), 67-75. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v21i1.21635
MLA 9
Neamah, Bent Alhuda Hussein, et al. "Epidemiological and Evaluative Study of the Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Najaf Governorate, Iraq." Iranian Journal of Parasitology, vol. 21, no. 1, 2026, pp. 67-75. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v21i1.21635.
Chicago (author–date)
Neamah, Bent Alhuda Hussein, Feryal Ameen Merza, and Huda Mahdi Saeed. 2026. "Epidemiological and Evaluative Study of the Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Najaf Governorate, Iraq." Iranian Journal of Parasitology 21 (1): 67-75. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v21i1.21635.
Harvard
Neamah, B. A. H., Merza, F. A. and Saeed, H. M. (2026) 'Epidemiological and Evaluative Study of the Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Najaf Governorate, Iraq', Iranian Journal of Parasitology, 21(1), pp. 67-75. doi:10.18502/ijpa.v21i1.21635.
Vancouver
Neamah BAH, Merza FA, Saeed HM. Epidemiological and Evaluative Study of the Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Najaf Governorate, Iraq. Iranian Journal of Parasitology. 2026;21(1):67-75. doi:10.18502/ijpa.v21i1.21635
IEEE
B. A. H. Neamah, F. A. Merza, and H. M. Saeed, "Epidemiological and Evaluative Study of the Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Najaf Governorate, Iraq," Iranian Journal of Parasitology, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 67-75, 2026, doi: 10.18502/ijpa.v21i1.21635.