Vector control in cutaneous leishmaniasis of the old world: A review of literature

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL), a disfiguring disease, is prevalent in many parts of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. Leishmaniasis is second only to malaria in terms of the number of people affected; it is a major public health issue with significant social stigma. Although the different methods to diagnose and treat the disease are well discussed in the literature, the role of vector control in the prevention of CL has been underemphasized. Both Pubmed and Ovid search engines were used to obtain articles on prevention and control of cutaneous leishmaniasis. These materials were then screened for articles pertaining to vector control only. The World Health Organization's website along with the Cochrane database were also searched for relevant text. From this qualitative review, it can be seen that many effective interventions exist. Considering the multitude of factors involved in transmission of CL and the various effective control measures tried and tested by investigators, an interdisciplinary approach involving more than one of the above interventions would make sense. The interventions selected would then depend on the incidence of CL in that particular area, the population being targeted, the reservoir, the particular vector, the environment, the acceptability/popularity of the intervention, and the availability of funds.