title: Seroepidemiological study of visceral leishmaniasis in Booyerahmad district, south-west Islamic Republic of Iran.
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in parts of Islamic Republic of Iran. A cross-sectional seroprevalence study was carried out in children in Booyerahmad district in the south-west of the country. Serum samples were taken from 1628 children up to 10 years old from different areas in Booyerahmad in 2005-06. AntiLeishmania antibody was detected in 50 out of 1628 children (3.1%) by direct agglutination test (antibody titre > or = 1:3200). There was no significant difference in seropositivity between the sexes (2.8% males and 3.3% females). The highest rate of infection (5.2%) was in the age group 10 years. Further studies are needed to explore the reservoirs and vectors of the disease in this region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarkari
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pedram
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohebali
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Moshfe
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zargar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akhoundi
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Shirzadi
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004285:Dogs; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution