Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease that is caused by obligate intra-macrophage protozoa, is endemic in large areas of the tropics, subtropics and Mediterranean basin. This disease is characterized by both diversity and complexity [1], it is caused by more than 20 leishmanial species and is transmitted to humans by about 30 different species of phlebotomine sandflies [2]. Leishmaniasis consis...

BACKGROUND Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected parasitic disease, which imposes massive human distress and financial costs to the endemic countries. Better understanding of host immune response to the parasite leads to helpful strategies for disease control. Interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β are important immune regulatory cytokines, which appear to develop non-heali...

Visceral leishmaniasis is a systemic infectious disease that can cause to a severe, potentially life-threatening chronic condition in humans. Risk factors for infection in urban areas have been associated with poor living conditions, the presence of sand fly vectors and infected pets. This study aimed to describe sand fly and canine infection in the neighborhoods of human visceral leishmaniasis...

604 Emerging Infectious Diseases Vol. 7, No. 3 Supplement, June 2001 2. World Health Organization. Control of the leishmaniases. Report of a WHO Expert Committee. World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser 1990;793:1-158. 3. El Harith A, Kolk AH, Kager PA, Leeuwenburg J, Muigai R, Kiugu S, et al. A simple and economical direct agglutination test for serodiagnosis and sero-epidemiological studies of viscer...

The article begins by describing a dog with characteristic symptoms of visceral leishmaniasis. A serum sample from this animal was positive by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) performed in anti-Leishmania total IgG in 1999. Tissues from the same dog were also positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 2004, identifying Leishmania DNA in the cerebellum, liver, kidney, and intestine. This is...

This case report describes an atypical clinical presentation of visceral leishmaniasis affecting the digestive tract and causing malabsorption syndrome in a patient without recognized immunosuppressive condition. After appropriate treatment for the classical visceral form of the disease, diarrhea persisted as the main symptom and massive infection by Leishmania was detected by histopathology an...

BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is caused by the Leishmania parasite, and transmitted by infected phlebotomine sandflies. Of the two distinct clinical syndromes, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) affects the skin and mucous membranes, and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) affects internal organs. Approaches to prevent transmission include vector control by reducing human contact with infected sandflies, and rese...

The term leishmaniasis comprises of a group of diseases caused by different species of a protozoan called Leishmania. There are three main clinical forms of leishmaniasis: visceral leishmaniasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis, and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. Exclusive involvement of the mucosa is very rare. We present a case of mucosal leishmaniasis located in the oral cavity. The only manifestation...

1. García AL, Parrado R, Rojas E, Delgado R, Dujardin JC, Reithinger R. Leishmaniasis in Bolivia: comprehensive review and current status. Am J Trop Med Hyg. In press. 2. Reithinger R, Dujardin JC, Louzir H, Pirmez C, Alexander B, Brooker S. Cutaneous leishmaniasis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2007;7:581–96. DOI: 10.1016/S14733099(07)70209-8 3. Davies CR, Reithinger R, Campbell-Lendrum D, Feliciangeli D...