Abstract
The aim of this reference study on the spread and distribution of various parasites was to aid in the control and treatment of these parasites and save researchers time and effort by providing them with essential and valuable information. This systematic review includes articles related to the detection of Leishmania species through molecular diagnostic methods published in Arabic and English from 2009 to 2021. From five international and local databases Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Iraqi Academic Journals, we extracted 35 papers that satisfied the inclusion criteria and were eligible for systematic review and meta-analysis. This systematic review attempted to answer the following question: Did Leishmania species follow a specific pattern in its geographical distribution in Iraq? The systematic review results show that Leishmania major is distributed from the northern provinces (the least prevalent) to the southern provinces (the highest prevalence).