CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN SAUDI ARABIA

File: 970123_152_d_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 3
SUBJECT:  CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN SAUDI ARABIA   

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~MPN/~BJECT~    CUT~NEOUS LEIS~*1~NI~SIS IN S4UDI SRSBI~//
RMKS/1.   THE FIRST L~BOR~TORY CONFIRMED CASE OF CUTANEOUS
LEISHMANIASIS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY THE USNS COMFORT IN A 27 YEAR
OLD M~E PILOT ASSI6NED TO THE 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION.        SIX
CUTANEUUS LESIONS DEVELOPED ON THE LEFT ELBOW AND ARM, LEFT
CHEEK, AND RIGHT FOREARM APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS AFTER ARRIVAL
IN COLA~TRY.  HE IS BEING TREATED WITH SODIUM STIBOGLUCONATE
(PENTO~~TAM)~ A PENTAYALENT ANTIMONIAL, AT 20 M(3/KG/DAY FOR TEN
DAYS ~D IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO DUTY~
2.  Efr~bEMIOLOGY.  EASTERN PROVINCE:    AN EPIDEMIC OF ZOONOTIC
CUTANEbUS LEISHMANIASIS (ZCL) APPARENTLY STARTED IN THE AL HASSA
OASIS *~i~ THE EARLY TO MID 1970'S.   OIL COMPANY REPORTS SHOW ONLY
SIX CAGES OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS FROM 1956 TO 1965 BUT IN


PAGE 02 RHIPAAA6Sl7 UNCLAS
19B2 E)('PERIENCED MORE THAN 60 CASES    THE CUMUL~TIVE TOTAL CASES
IN 1?6E~ WAS 66 CASES WITH A 5 YEAR MEAN (1984-1988) OF 31 CASES.
THE PRINCIPAL FORM OF ORGANISM ISOLATED FROM MAN IN THE KINGDOM OF
SAUDI ARABIA IS LEISHMANIA MAJOR (YA~.INOFF AND 5CHOKHOR 1914)
OF WHI~H ZYMODEME LON-4 IS THE MOST COMMON.        IT IS PROBABLE THAT
PHLEBO~OMUS PAPATASI   IS THE PRINCIPAL1 OR MORE LIKELY, THE SOLE
VECTOR OF ZCL    SANDFLIES BREED IN CRACKS IN THE WALLS OF DWELLINGSq
IN RUB~ISH, OR IN RUBBLE PILES.     THEY ARE WEAk FLYERS AND TEND TO
REMAIN CLOSE TO THE GROUND NEAR THE BREEDING SIDE.       ONLY FEM~LES
SUC~   BLOOD AND MOST SPECIES ~RE NOCTURNAL FEEDERS      SOME MA't FEED
DURING THE DA~   IN DAR~ ROOMS-  PSAMMOMYS OBESUS (CRET2SCHMAR 1B28),
A DESE~T GERBIL, HAS BEEN IMPLICATED AS THE PRINCIPAL RESERVOIR
HOST.   CENTRAL 4ND NORTHERN AREAS:    RIYADH AND AL KHARJ HAVE
REPORT6T) SEVERAL CASES OF ZCL WITH HAIL AND NORTHERN AREAS
 IM~LIC~~ED    THE VECTOR PHLEBOTOMUS PAPATASI HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN