Epidemiological and entomological aspects of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Saudi Arabia: A narrative review.

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, transmitted through the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies. As a neglected tropical disease, it has recently garnered significant attention. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a priority for disease control by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Saudi Arabia, among other countries. This narrative review focuses on the history of the disease, its epidemiological and entomological aspects, high-risk populations, and hard-to-reach areas. The review is based on a comprehensive analysis of literature published in English on leishmaniasis in Saudi Arabia. Articles were systematically filtered to ensure relevance to the scope of this paper. Findings from these studies were summarized and categorized geographically into five main regions: Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, and Central Saudi Arabia.