Serological Survey and Associated Risk Factors of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Qom Province, Central Iran

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is considered as a parasitic disease caused by the species of Leishmania donovani complex which is intracellular parasites. This systemic disease is endemic in some parts of provinces of Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of VL in Qom Province, central Iran using direct agglutination test (DAT). Methods: Overall, 1564 serum samples (800 males and 764 females) were collected from selected subjects by randomized cluster sampling in 2011-2012. Sera were tested and analyzed by DAT. Before sampling; a questionnaire was filled out for each case. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression for risk factors analysis. Results: Of 1564 individuals, 53 cases (3.38%) showed Leishmania specific antibodies as follows:with 1:400 titer 16 cases (1.02%), with 1:800 titer 20 cases (1.27%), with 1:1600 titer 16 cases (1.02%) whereas only one subject (0.06%) showed titers of >= 1:3200. There was no significant association between VL seropositivity and gender, age group and occupation. Binary logistic regression showed that rural areas was 0.44 times at higher risk of infection than urban areas (OR=0.44; % 95 CI=0.25-0.78). Conclusion: Although the seroprevalence of VL is relatively low in Qom Province, yet due to the importance of the disease, the surveillance system should be monitored by health authorities.