Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis

What is leishmaniasis?

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by the Leishmania parasite. This parasite typically lives in infected sand flies. You can contract leishmaniasis from a bite of an infected sand fly. The parasite lives and multiplies inside the female sand fly. This insect is most active in humid environments during the warmer months and at night, from dusk to dawn. Domestic animals, such as dogs, can serve as reservoirs for the parasite. Transmission may occur from animal to sand fly to human. Humans can also transmit the parasite between each other through a blood transfusion or shared needles.

Who is at risk for leishmaniasis?

The disease is found everywhere in the world except Australia and Antarctica. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source, poverty is a determining factor for the disease. In addition, leishmaniasis often occurs in areas where the following conditions are common: malnutrition, famine, lack of financial resources and large migrations of people caused by urbanization, emergency situations, war, environmental changes and climate change. People who have weakened immune systems are at increased risk of this condition. HIV can influence the transmission of leishmaniasis and increase the risk of visceral leishmaniasis.

What are the symptoms of leishmaniasis?

People can carry some species of Leishmania for long periods without becoming ill. Symptoms depend on the form of the disease.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis

The main symptom of this condition is painless skin ulcers. Cutaneous symptoms may appear a few weeks after being bitten by an infected sand fly. However, sometimes symptoms won’t appear for months or years.

Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis

In people with the mucocutaneous form of the disease, symptoms usually appear one to five years after the skin lesions. These are primarily ulcers in their mouth and nose or on their lips. Other symptoms may include: runny or stuffy nose, nosebleeds and difficulty breathing.

Visceral leishmaniasis

Symptoms often don’t appear for months after the bite with this type of leishmaniasis. Most cases are apparent two to six months after the infection occurred. Common signs and symptoms include: weight loss, weakness, fever that lasts for weeks or months, enlarged spleen, enlarged liver, decreased production of blood cells, bleeding and other infections.

What is the treatment for leishmaniasis?

In diagnosing leishmaniasis, a history of living or traveling to an area of leishmaniasis is helpful. Your doctor may take a small amount of skin for a biopsy by scraping one of the ulcers. They’ll often look for the DNA, or genetic material, of the parasite. They can use a variety of methods to identify the species of parasite causing the infection. Antiparasitic drugs, such as amphotericin B (Ambisome), treat this condition. Your doctor may recommend other treatments based on the type of leishmaniasis you have.

What are the potential complications of leishmaniasis?

Cutaneous leishmaniasis complications may include: