Dozens of people from eastern enclave of Damascus were infected earlier with Leishmaniasis due to the spread of the "sandfly" that transmits the disease in Ghouta suburbs, a local news site said Friday.
Sowt al-Assima, or The Capital Voice, said that the disease began to spread during the past month, but the number of infections has increased dramatically during the past few days.
The network pointed out that the disease is caused by the spread of the "sandfly" in the region, due to the spread of piles of garbage in various streets, in addition to the rubble that was collected nearly two years ago, and has not been deported until today.
The network clarified that the area contains two main waste dumps, one of which is located in the "Ein Tarma" valley, and the other is on the banks of the "Daayani" river, on the outskirts of the town of "Kafr Batna".
The network said that the municipality worked to divert sewage water to the riverbed, and neglected the transfer of waste from the two main landfills, which contributed to the spread of this insect.
The local network quoted a doctor working in Eastern Ghouta as saying that the last rains turned the perimeter of waste dumps into swamps, and became a hotbed for rats and stray dogs, explaining that it is the appropriate environment for the growth and reproduction of the "sand fly."
The doctor held the municipality and the Health Directorate responsible for the spread of the fly, warning that the disease would turn into an epidemic in the region unless it was treated immediately, pointing out that they ignored the pleas made by the people to transfer waste, clean the streets and spray pesticides.
The sandfly is the only carrier of "leishmaniasis" disease, and it lives in damp and dark places, such as animal places, and waste collections.
Leishmaniasis can present in three main ways: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral leishmaniasis.
Zaman Al Wasl
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