title: Epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis among children in Gadarif hospital, eastern Sudan.
abstract: Since 1900s, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been among the most important health problems in Sudan, particularly in the endemic areas such as eastern and central regions.
  
  
  
  This was a cross sectional, hospital-based study conducted from 1stJanuary 2015 to 31stDecember 2015 to investigate the epidemiological factors of VL in Gadarif hospital, eastern Sudan.
  
  
  
  During the study period there were 47 identified children with VL among 145 suspected cases. The most common clinical presentations were fever (47, 100%), pallor (47, 100%), weight loss (40, 85.1%), splenomegaly (37, 78.7%), lymphadenopathy (33, 70.2%), vomiting (32, 68%) cough (28, 59%), loss of appetite (22, 46.8%), diarrhoea (17, 36.1%) and jaundice (5, 10.6%). With regard to the outcome after short term follow up 37 patients (78.8%) improved without complications, while 3 (6.4%, 2 (4.3%), 2 (4.3%), 1 (2.1%), 1 (2.1%) and 1 (2.1%) developed pneumonia, otitis media, septicaemia, urinary tract infection, parasitic infestation and PKDL respectively. Lower mean of haemoglobin level was observed among the VL cases in comparison with the suspected cases (in whom VL was excluded) haemoglobin level {8.9 (3.1) Vs 11 (6.3), P = 0.021}. Again more proportion of anaemic (47 (100%) Vs 14 (14.2%), P = 0.000) and severely anaemic (23 (48.9%) Vs 2 (2%), P = 0.006) patients was detected among the infected children. Using logistic regression analyses there was significant association between rural residence (CI = 1.5-24, OR = 19.1, P = 0.023), male gender (CI = 6.6-18.7, OR = 6.4, P = 0.001) and VL among children.
  
  
  
  While there is an advance in prevention and management of visceral leishmaniasis our results indicate that VL is still a public health problem with its severe complications among children in eastern Sudan.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Gadarif University, Gadarif, Sudan.
authors.forename: Mohammed Ahmed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Gadarif University, Gadarif, Sudan.
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Gadarif University, Gadarif, Sudan.
authors.forename: Saeed M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Gadarif University, Gadarif, Sudan.
authors.forename: Gamal K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kassala University, P.O. Box 496, Kassala, Sudan.
authors.forename: Tajeldin M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kassala University, P.O. Box 496, Kassala, Sudan. aziem@gmail.com.
authors.forename: AbdelAziem A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000740:Anemia / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013397:Sudan / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Anaemia; Children; Epidemiology; Sudan; Visceral leishmaniasis