To the Editor: In Afghanistan, most cutaneous leishmaniasis cases are caused by Leishmania tropica, which is transmitted anthroponotical-ly by the sandfly Phlebotomus sergen-ti (1). Cutaneous leishmaniasis can have devastating effects on local communities because of its clinical symptoms , i.e., large, multiple, or both, disfiguring lesions, that can lead to social ostracism of affected persons...

Myiasis is a parasitic infestation caused by larvae of several fly species. Diagnosis and treatment are simple. This infestation is, however, rarely seen in the vulvar area. We present a short review of the disease and the case of a 19-year-old pregnant girl with vulvar myiasis and concomitant syphilis, vaginal trichomoniasis and genital candidiasis. The patient was also positive for human immu...

To the Editor: Recent reports from Afghanistan have focused on the current status of war-and refugee-related anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL), caused by Leishmania tropica, in Kabul City, refugee camps, and Fayzabad City (Badakhshan Province) (1–4). In central Asia, ACL is transmitted mainly by the sandfly Phlebotomus sergenti in urban or peri-urban environments (5). Zoonotic cutaneo...

The South Asian region comprising eight countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) is one of the most densely populated and poorest regions in the world. It has 23 percent of the world’s population and accounts for a mere 2 percent of world output. The region has 40 percent of the poorest people in the world, and its relatively young population ...

During recent years, informal money service providers, or hawaladars, have gained an enhanced role as an important informal institution and key economic agents in Afghanistan. The hawala system, handling both financial transfers and currency exchange, was important in Afghanistan even before the war. But during the long period of conflict, and especially under the Taliban regime, the hawala mar...

Combat-related injuries have been well documented for centuries. More recently, injuries suffered by US service members in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a high number of survivable conditions. Polytrauma care in this setting must take into account both the physical and psychological injuries suffered by returning wounded warriors. Catastrophizing may occur when previously healthy indivi...