Zorana Klišmanić

Occurence of Visceral and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Croatia

UNLABELLED The purpose of this study was to show epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestations of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in Croatia. METHODS Analysis of data on reported visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases and description of the most common clinical manifestations of the disease was based on meta analysis of collected data. RESULTS A total of 124 cases of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis were reported from 1954 until the end of 2006. During the 1994-2006 period, 35 people became infected: 23 with visceral and 12 with the cutaneous form of the disease. The diagnosis of cutaneous leismaniasis is based on the clinical picture, epidemiological data, and light microscopic histology. The clinical picture of visceral leishmaniasis was confirmed by detection of amastigotes in bone marrow aspirate (n=22; 95.7%) and liver (n=1; 4.3%) and by serology-indirect immunofluorescent assays (n=23; 100%). Age-specific morbidity is highest in the 0 to 4 age group (0.29%). None of the infected was human immunodeficiency virus positive. CONCLUSION It is estimated that there have been some changes in epidemiological characteristics of the natural foci of leishmaniasis in Croatia.