Leishmaniasis, << leesh muh NY uh sihs, >> is a disease that causes skin sores in human beings and other animals. It is caused by infection with single-celled parasites of the genus Leishmania. The parasites are transmitted through the bite of various species of sand flies. Leishmaniasis occurs mainly in tropical countries, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, southern Asia, and South America. Each year, about 2 million people are infected with leishmaniasis worldwide.
Symptoms of leishmaniasis include one or more painless sores that erupt on the skin weeks or months after a person is bitten by a sand fly. There are four varieties of the disease, which affect different parts of the body. Cutaneous leishmaniasis, the most common form, causes one or more painless or painful skin sores. The sores usually heal, forming a scar, within several months. In mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, the sores spread to the mucous membranes inside the mouth and nose. In diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis, the sores spread over a wide area of the skin. Visceral leishmaniasis, also called kala-azar, is more serious and affects the internal organs. It causes fever, abdominal pain, enlargement of the liver and spleen, anemia, and swelling of the lymph nodes.
Physicians diagnose leishmaniasis through examination of skin scrapings, or through tissue samples of the liver, spleen, or bone marrow. Physicians treat leishmaniasis with chemical compounds called pentavalent antimony salts, which have many side effects. Other treatments include antibiotics and antifungal medications.
See also Kala-azar .
