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LEISHMANIASIS
Leishmaniasis has the potential to infect around 350 million people in eighty-eight countries in the tropics and subtropics. Leishmania epidemics have been reported in Northern India, the junction of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan, and southern Europe. Current World Health Organization (WHO) estimates report 12 million people are infected with an annual incidence of two million. Leishmania can be subdivided into three categories: Cutaneous, Mucosal and Visceral Leishmaniasis. Visceral Leishmaniasis has been associated with HIV and is fatal if left untreated. These parasites are transmitted by sandflies and also display antigenic variation. Vaccination efforts have been unsuccessful and drug resistance is mounting.
General Information: Medline, World Health Organization |
