Visceral leishmaniasis remains a major neglected tropical disease and an important public health challenge in the Tibesti province of Chad. During this five-year period, cutaneous leishmaniasis was very rare, with only a few isolated cases. This study aimed to characterize the epidemiological profile of leishmaniasis in Tibesti between 2021 and 2025. It was conducted at the Bardai hospital. Data were collected from laboratory registers. All suspected cases of leishmaniasis were confirmed through laboratory testing. Of the 1031 suspected cases, 232 were confirmed positive, yielding a positivity rate of 22.5%. Visceral leishmaniasis accounted for the overwhelming majority of cases (97.4%), whereas cutaneous leishmaniasis was infrequent (2.6%). The disease disproportionately affected children under five years of age (52.2%) and males (77.4%). The Analysis revealed a high concentration of cases in the Bardai and Zouar health districts. An increasing trend was observed over the study period, with the positivity rate rising from 19.0% in 2021 to 33.6% in 2025. These findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen surveillance systems and improve access to early diagnosis and treatment, particularly among high-risk populations.
References
[1]
Desjeux, P. (2001) The Increase in Risk Factors for Leishmaniasis Worldwide. TransactionsoftheRoyalSocietyofTropicalMedicineandHygiene, 95, 239-243. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0035-9203(01)90223-8
[2]
WHO (2024) Global Leishmaniasis Surveillance Updates 2024: Consolidating Gains and New Initiatives. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-wer10045-535-552
[3]
Messaoudene, F., Boukraa, S., Boubidi, S.C., Guerzou, A. and Ouahabi, A. (2023) Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in North Africa and Its Threats to Public Health: A Statistical Study Focused on Djelfa (Algeria). Microorganisms, 11, Article 2608. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11102608
[4]
Ramsay, A. and Kamau, E.M. (2025) Neglected Tropical Diseases Remain a Considerable Public Health Challenge in West Africa. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 10, Article 77. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed10030077
[5]
WHO (2022) WHO Guideline for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in HIV co-infected patients in East Africa and South-East Asia. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/b/57413
[6]
Osuolale, O. (2023) Visceral and Tegumentary Leishmaniasis. In: Vaccines for Neglected Pathogens: Strategies, Achievements and Challenges, Springer International Publishing, 235-261. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24355-4_11
[7]
WHO (2021) Appuie le Tchad dans ses efforts à lutter contre une maladie tropicale négligée mortelle: La Leishmaniose viscérale. https://www.afro.who.int/fr/news/loms-appuie-le-tchad-dans-ses-efforts-lutter-contre-une-maladie-tropicale-negligee-mortelle-la
[8]
WHO (2010) Control of the Leishmaniases. WHO Technical Report Series 949. OMS.
[9]
Chappuis, F., Sundar, S., Hailu, A., Ghalib, H., Rijal, S., Peeling, R.W., et al. (2007) Visceral Leishmaniasis: What Are the Needs for Diagnosis, Treatment and Control? NatureReviewsMicrobiology, 5, 873-882. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1748.
[10]
Geto, A.K., Berihun, G., Berhanu, L., Desye, B. and Daba, C. (2024) Prevalence of Human Visceral Leishmaniasis and Its Risk Factors in Eastern Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. FrontiersinPublicHealth, 12, Article 1488741. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1488741
[11]
Cook, G.C. and Zumla, A. (2009) Malaria. Manson’s Text Book of Tropical Diseases. 22nd Edition, Saunders Press.
[12]
Leta, S., Dao, T.H.T., Mesele, F. and Alemayehu, G. (2014) Visceral Leishmaniasis in Ethiopia: An Evolving Disease. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 8, e3131. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003131
[13]
Desjeux, P. (2004) Leishmaniasis: Current Situation and New Perspectives. Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 27, 305-318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cimid.2004.03.004
[14]
Hotez, P.J. and Kamath, A. (2009) Neglected Tropical Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: Review of Their Prevalence, Distribution, and Disease Burden. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 3, e412. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000412
[15]
Selvapandiyan, A., Shital, S., Sangma, D.A., Jain, M., Karunaweera, N. and Ganguly, N.K. (2025) An Update on Clinical and Pathogenic Spectra of Leishmaniasis. Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine, 27, e27. https://doi.org/10.1017/erm.2025.4
[16]
Diro, E., Lynen, L., Ritmeijer, K., Boelaert, M., Hailu, A. and van Griensven, J. (2014) Visceral Leishmaniasis and HIV Coinfection in East Africa. PLOSNeglectedTropicalDiseases, 8, e2869. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002869
[17]
WHO (2024) Global Report on Neglected Tropical Diseases. https://www.who.int/teams/control-of-neglected-tropical-diseases/global-report-on-neglected-tropical-diseases-2024
[18]
Alvar, J., Beca-Martínez, M.T., Argaw, D., Jain, S. and Aagaard-Hansen, J. (2023) Social Determinants of Visceral Leishmaniasis Elimination in Eastern Africa. BMJ Global Health, 8, e012638. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012638
[19]
Torres-Guerrero, E., Quintanilla-Cedillo, M.R., Ruiz-Esmenjaud, J. and Arenas, R. (2017) Leishmaniasis: A Review. F1000 Research, 6, 750. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.11120.1
[20]
Talbi, F.Z., El Khayyat, F., El Omari, H., Maniar, S., Fadil, M., Taroq, A., et al. (2020) Cartography and Epidemiological Study of Leishmaniasis Disease in Sefrou Province (2007–2010), Central North of Morocco. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases, 2020, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/1867651
[21]
Kumar, S., Alghamdi, A., Singh, P.K., Pal, N., Pattnaik, R., Alissa, M., et al. (2026) Neglected Tropical Diseases: Recent Trends and Challenges Associated with Its Rapid Diagnosis and Effective Therapeutic Strategies. FrontiersinPharmacology, 17, Article 1742086. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2026.1742086
[22]
WHO (2026) Global Leishmaniasis Surveillance Updates 2023: 3 Years of the NTD Road Map. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/379491/WER9945-653-669.pdf?sequence=1
[23]
Sundar, S. and Chakravarty, J. (2015) An Update on Pharmacotherapy for Leishmaniasis. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 16, 237-252. https://doi.org/10.1517/14656566.2015.973850
[24]
Zijlstra, E.E. and El-Hassan, A.M. (2001) Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 95, S59-S76. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0035-9203(01)90219-6
[25]
Reithinger, R., Dujardin, J.C., Louzir, H., Pirmez, C., Alexander, B. and Brooker, S. (2007) Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 7, 581-596. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1473-3099(07)70209-8
[26]
Alvar, J., Vélez, I.D., Bern, C., Herrero, M., Desjeux, P., Cano, J., et al. (2012) Leishmaniasis Worldwide and Global Estimates of Its Incidence. PLOS ONE, 7, e35671. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035671
[27]
Burza, S., Croft, S.L. and Boelaert, M. (2018) Leishmaniasis. The Lancet, 392, 951-970. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(18)31204-2
