Epidemiological features of cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic in hilly areas of district Karak, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a vector borne infection caused by flagellated parasitic protozoans of the genus Leishmania. This is an emergent threat and endemic in areas of tropic and sub-tropics and has a wider geographical distribution. This study was aimed to find the epidemiological aspects of cutaneous leishmaniasis during the recent epidemic in district Karak in 2018-2019. The suspected patients of leishmaniasis from different areas of district Karak were examined. We came across 803 cases during six-month period from August 2018 to January 2019. A major portion (> 37%; n = 299) of these patients were in age 11-20 years. The infection rate was higher in female (55.3%; n = 803) compared to males (44.6%; n = 803). Both gender and age showed a significant effect on the occurrence of infection. It is concluded that cutaneous leishmaniasis has appeared as a major health issue in district Karak. The current study report CL outbreak in Karak district which need immediate response from the healthcare authorities. In addition, extensive awareness campaigns are needed for timely prevention of such outbreaks. © Indian Society for Parasitology 2020.