Peri-domestic risk factors associated with transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in selected areas in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a notifiable disease in the Hambantota District. Aim of this study was to identify the peri-domestic factors which attributed to increase CL cases in the Hambantota District. CL suspected patients who attended the Tangalle Base Hospital were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Information on the presence of CL patients in neighbourhood, and distance to their houses, land ownership and presence of vector habitats were recorded. CL patients were identified by examining them using slit- skin lesion smears. A total of 151 participants were CL positive. Among patients, 52.3% had family members/ neighbours / co-workers that infected with CL during last five years period. The size of the land ownership of 53.6% patients were >1,000 m² (p<0.05). Most of their gardens were covered with vegetation. Majority of patients (45.0%) dump their garbage in their own yards within <50 m distance from their houses (p<0.001). Eighteen percent of patients threw wastewater into their own yards within <100 m distance from their houses. Present findings revealed that distance of houses of noticeable number of patients were <100 m to unutilized lands (31.1%), shrub jungles (39.1%), agricultural lands (31.8%), forests (18.5%) and water bodies (16.6%). It is concluded that CL patients in this study profile are living very close to previously infected CL patients, vegetated lands, garbage sites and vector-friendly habitats such as shrub jungles, agricultural lands, forests and water bodies.