|
Awareness
of the public about cutaneous leishmaniasis
in an endemic area, Aseer region,
Saudi Arabia
Majed
Saleh Aldayhum1, Mohammed Saad Alshahrani1,
Toka Mahmoud Rezk A. Hussein2, Abrar
Ahmed BinAbbas1, Adel Alfaifi1,
Saif Saad Alkhidhran3, Nouf Khaled
Alshehri 4
[1] Department of Dermatology,
Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region,
Kingdom Saudi Arabia.
[2] Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University,
Sohag, Egypt.
[3] Family and Community Medicine
Department, Armed Forces Hospital
Southern Region, Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
[4] Dermatology, Senior house officer,
Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Corresponding author:
Majed Saleh Aldayhum, MD, SBDERM,
ABDVD, EBDVD
Board-certified Dermatologist.
Department of Dermatology
Armed Forces Hospitals Southern
Region,
Khamis Mushaite, Saudi Arabia
PO. BOX 101
Email: Mjsw99@gmail.com
Received: August 2025. Accepted:
September 2025; Published: October
2025.Citation: Majed Saleh Aldayhum1et
al. Awareness of the public about
cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic
area, Aseer region, Saudi Arabia.
World Family Medicine. October 2025;
23(7): 6 - 12. DOI: 10.5742/MEWFM.2025.805257901
|
Abstract
Background: Leishmaniasis
is a group of chronic infections
affecting humans and several
animal species. Cutaneous
leishmaniasis (CL) is a protozoal
infection transmitted by bites
of the infected female sandflies.
CL is endemic throughout the
desert of the Middle East.
The awareness of the people
is an important tool in the
success of disease prevention
and control programs.
Methods:
We undertook a descriptive
cross-sectional web-based
study and a questionnaire
in the Aseer region. The first
part of the questionnaire
included demographic data
(age, gender, geographic location,
personal and family history
of CL). The second part of
the questionnaire included
the awareness of the participants
regarding the frequency of
infection, clinical signs,
types, treatment methods,
consequences, and preventive
measures of CL.
Results:
A total of 402 participants
completed the questionnaires.
Their age ranged from 18 to
65 years with a mean age of
34.1 ± 13.9 years.
Good awareness about CL was
statistically significantly
higher among the following:
i) participants less than
30 years (26.6%) as compared
to those aged 50 years or
more (6.9%), ii) females (17.6%)
as compared to males (8.9%),
and iii) participants who
never had any previous exposure
to CL (18.4%) as compared
to those who exposed before
(8.7%).
Conclusion:
Overall, the public awareness
regarding CL in Aseer region
was very poor, especially
the general knowledge including
the nature of the disease,
and mode of transmission.
In KSA, more focus should
be paid to improve public
awareness regarding CL as
a preventable disease.
Keywords:
Leishmaniasis, population,
awareness, knowledge, prevalence,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and
Aseer region.
|
|
