ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb 13, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. scientists have
determined deforestation and social marginalization increase the risk of
acquiring an infectious, tropical skin disease.
The University of Michigan researchers examined the incidence of the disease
American cutaneous leishmaniasis, or ACL, in Costa Rica.
ACL -- characterized by skin lesions caused by an infectious organism carried by
sand flies -- most commonly affects workers in forested lowlands, but tourists
are increasingly at risk as remote tropical areas become more accessible.
A team led by Professor Luis Fernando Chaves examined Costa Rica's ACL case data
from 1996 through 2000.
"Contrary to what was previously believed, the more forest you have, even in a
marginal population, the more protected you are against the disease," said
Chaves. "When we looked just at factors such as climate and the physical
environment, we found no specific patterns with respect to the disease. But when
we looked at the social data, we found clear patterns according to marginality."
The scientists found socially marginalized people -- those with lower incomes,
literacy and levels of education -- had a higher incidence of the disease.
The study appears in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
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Copyright 2008 by United Press International