Résumé
Background: in France, leishmaniasis is endemic in the Mediterranean region, in French Guiana and to a lesser extent, in the French West Indies. Last epidemiological survey in France dated from 2013 and needed to be refreshed.Aim: this study aims to provide an updated picture of the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in metropolitan France and in overseas territories.Methods: leishmaniasis cases were collected by passive notification at the French National Reference Centre for Leishmaniases (NRCL) in Montpellier from 1998 to 2020 and at the associated Center in Cayenne from 2003 to 2020.Results: in metropolitan France, 517 autochthonous leishmaniasis, mostly visceral forms due to Leishmania infantum (79%), and 1725 imported cases (French Guiana excluded), mainly cutaneous leishmaniasis from Maghreb, were recorded. A slight decrease along the time from a maximum of 0.48 cases/100 000 inhabitants per year in 1999 to a minimum of 0.1 cases/100 000 inhabitants per year in 2017 was observed in autochthonous cases. In contrast, an increase in imported cases (from 59.7 in the 2000’s to 94.5 in the 2010’s) was found. In French Guiana 4126 tegumentary leishmaniasis were reported from 2003 to 2020. The mean incidence was 103.3 cases per 100 000 persons/year but was highly variable according to the year (from 198 in 2004 to 54 in 2006). In Guadeloupe and Martinique, only sporadic cases were notified.Conclusion: because of concerns about disease expansion and outbreaks in other south European countries, NRCL monitoring should be pursued and enhanced with a more active surveillance.