Increase in cases of leishmaniasis after earthquake in an endemic area of Ecuador

  • Cindy Yuleisy Quijije Quijije Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Instituto de Posgrado. Portoviejo-Manabí. Ecuador https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5390-5108
  • Zulbey Chiquinquirá Rivero-De Rodríguez Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Carrera de Laboratorio Clínico. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Portoviejo-Manabí. Ecuador https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8658-7751
  • Stefanía Monserrate Posligua-Barcia Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Facultad Ciencias de la Salud. Carrera de Laboratorio Clínico. Portoviejo-Manabí. Ecuador https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6915-8803
  • Miguel Ángel Arteaga-Quiroz Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Facultad Ciencias de la Salud. Carrera de Laboratorio Clínico. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Portoviejo-Manabí. Ecuador https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9129-8321
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56903/kasmera.5344334
Keywords: Leishmania, Lutzomyia, cutaneous leishmaniasis, earthquake

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is an infectious parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of Phlebotomus; in America, the genus responsible is Lutzomyia. Vector-borne infections can increase significantly in the event of natural disasters. The province of Manabí, in Ecuador, is an endemic area for cutaneous leishmaniasis, but in 2016, following the earthquake, there was an increase in cases that year, which continued into 2017. The parish of Portoviejo with the highest number of cases that year was Andrés de Vera. To identify the factors that contributed to this increase, an observational, descriptive, bispective, and cross-sectional study was designed, and a survey was conducted of 383 individuals in the parish of Andrés de Vera, Portoviejo canton, Manabí. There was a high level of ignorance about the vector and few protective measures in homes, such as the use of window screens, mosquito nets, or repellents. It was concluded that the increase in cases could be due to the harsh weather conditions experienced by many residents after the earthquake and a lack of knowledge about protective measures, considering that the area evaluated is defined as endemic for leishmaniasis

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Published
2025-10-19
How to Cite
1.
Quijije Quijije CY, Rivero-De Rodríguez ZC, Posligua-Barcia SM, Arteaga-Quiroz M Ángel. Increase in cases of leishmaniasis after earthquake in an endemic area of Ecuador. Kasmera [Internet]. 2025Oct.19 [cited 2025Nov.14];53:e5344334. Available from: http://www.produccioncientifica.luz.edu.ve/index.php/kasmera/article/view/44334
Issue
Vol. 53 (2025)
Section
Original Articles

Copyright (c) 2025 Cindy Yuleisy Quijije Quijije, Zulbey Chiquinquirá Rivero-De Rodríguez, Stefanía Monserrate Posligua-Barcia, Miguel Ángel Arteaga-Quiroz

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