Distribution of Endemic Parasitic Diseases in Iraq

Jarallah, Hind Mahdi; Aabadi, Haider Izaati

doi:10.21608/ejvs.2022.142918.1347

Distribution of Endemic Parasitic Diseases in Iraq

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Biology- Marine science center Basrah University- Basrah- Iraq

² Maysan Healthy Office, Maysan, Iraq

10.21608/ejvs.2022.142918.1347

Abstract

This study came as an update on communicable parasitic diseases in Iraq. Leishmaniasis, echinococcosis and toxoplasmosis are the most serious communicable ones with important socio-economic problems. The present study was done during 2021. The study area included all Iraqi provinces, the analysis of all cases has been taken into account for more than ten years ago from 2011 to 2020. The distribution of parasitic communicable diseases in that period included four parasitic diseases; toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis (cutaneous and visceral) and echinococcosis. Communicable parasitic diseases were classified according to provinces, total number of echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) recorded 6364, 7097, 89359 and 4453, respectively, CL (89359) was the highest communicable disease and the lowest one was VL (4453), with significant differences (p<0.05). Echinococcosis (6364) and toxoplasmosis (7097) infections were high without significant differences (P>0.05). Sex distribution of communicable parasitic diseases during 2011-2020 were done.
In conclusion, this study indicates that communicable parasitosis is endemic in Iraq, it is more prevalent in rural areas than in urban one; because of the environmental factors which play an important role for increasing the chances of infection.

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