{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T22:13:44Z","timestamp":1790806424720,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,27]],"date-time":"2021-05-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1622073600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"School of Public Health, University of Ghana","award":["Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO\/TDR)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO\/TDR)"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites of the genus <jats:italic>Leishmania<\/jats:italic> and is transmitted by various species of female phlebotomine sand flies. The first report of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Ghana refer to a cluster of cases in 1999\u20132003 in the Ho municipality of the Volta Region. We conducted an epidemiological assessment in the Oti Region, encouraged by recent reports of potential cases of CL.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methodology\/Principal findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Using a cross-sectional study design, the exposure to <jats:italic>Leishmania<\/jats:italic> was investigated in three communities of the Oti Region based on the leishmanin skin test (LST). LST results for 3,071 participants comprising 1091, 848, and 1132 persons from the communities of Ashiabre, Keri, and Sibi Hilltop, indicated an overall prevalence of exposure to <jats:italic>Leishmania<\/jats:italic> infection of 41.8% and individual community prevalence of 39.4%, 55.1%, and 34.2% respectively. Being male [AOR = 1.27; CI: 1.09, 1.49], and living in Keri [AOR = 1.83; CI: 1.43, 2.34] were associated with an increase in the odds of exposure to <jats:italic>Leishmania<\/jats:italic>. Being 5\u201310 years old [AOR = 1.48; CI: 1.06, 2.05], 11\u201317 years old [AOR = 2.03; CI: 1.45, 2.85], 18\u201340 years old [AORR = 2.83; CI: 1.81, 4.43] and 41\u201365 years old [AOR = 5.08; CI: 2.98, 8.68] were also significantly associated with increased odds of being exposed to <jats:italic>Leishmania<\/jats:italic>.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions\/Significance<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This study demonstrated exposure to <jats:italic>Leishmania<\/jats:italic> in the study communities and also identified associated factors. Future efforts aimed at reducing exposure to <jats:italic>Leishmania<\/jats:italic> infection in the study area should take the associated factors into consideration.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0009413","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,27]],"date-time":"2021-05-27T18:06:52Z","timestamp":1622138812000},"page":"e0009413","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Prevalence of Leishmania infection in three communities of Oti Region, Ghana"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5778-1472","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Richard","family":"Akuffo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6048-8509","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Michael","family":"Wilson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bismark","family":"Sarfo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0286-1990","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Naiki","family":"Attram","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mba-Tihssommah","family":"Mosore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5389-0607","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Clara","family":"Yeboah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2200-2360","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Israel","family":"Cruz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jose-Antonio","family":"Ruiz-Postigo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6434-7298","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Daniel","family":"Boakye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0087-4659","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Javier","family":"Moreno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1531-5481","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Francis","family":"Anto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,27]]},"reference":[{"issue":"5","key":"pntd.0009413.ref001","first-page":"1","article-title":"Leishmaniasis Worldwide and Global Estimates of Its Incidence","volume":"7","author":"J Alvar","year":"2012","journal-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis"},{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0009413.ref002","first-page":"82","article-title":"The history of leishmaniasis. 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