Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread by the bites of infected sand flies. It is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania and is endemic in many parts of the world. There are three main clinical forms: cutaneous, visceral, and mucosal. Cutaneous leishmaniasis causes skin sores, visceral leishmaniasis affects internal organs and can be fatal if not treated, and mucosal leishmaniasis destroys mucous membranes in the nose, throat or mouth. The parasite has a multi-stage life cycle alternating between the sand fly vector and a mammalian host like humans. Diagnosis involves microscopic identification of the parasite, antibody detection, or

1. k.Shalini [B.sc MB]

2. The leishman derived from the word “laece”
meaning “leech” and indicating “one who used
leeches to let blood”.

3. What is leishmaniasis?
• Leishmania is a genus of trypansomatid protozoa ,
which cause a fatal-borne parasitic disease called
leishmaniasis.
• It is spread by the bites of sand flies of the genus
phlebotomus in the old world , and of the genus
lutzomyia in the new world.
• Leishmania is the second largest parasitic killer in
the world (after malaria) and is endemic in many
parts of Africa, Asia, and south America.

5. • There are over >20 different species can infects
human.
• There are over 1.3 million new cases annually.
• 20-30,000 deaths
• Affects poorest countries in the world.
• The leishmaniasis is transmitted to human by
the bites of sandflies.

6. • The sandflies can get infected when they bitted
infected person or animal like rodents, dogs,
foxes, etc...
• Very Uncommonly the leishmaniasis can passed
person to person by blood transfusions, unsterile
needle or mother to baby.
• Not everyone is responsible to develops the
disease.
• Sometimes there will be asymptomatic .

7. Three main types:
Leishmaniasis
Cutaneous Visceral Mucosal

8. L.CUTANEOUS
• It is the most common form of leishmaniasis
affecting humans.
• It is a skin infection caused by a single-celled
parasite that transmitted by the bite of
phlenotomine sandfly.
• Cause ulcers , sores on the skin.
• Incubation-week to a months ,multiple sores
also can have swollen glands near the sores.

10. L.VISCERAL
• Commenly known as kala-azar
• It is more severe form of the disease.
• It incubates days to years after the bite of the
infected sand flies.
• It affects the internal organs like spleen, liver
and bone marrow.
• People affects with the symptoms like fever,
weight loss, anemia, enlargement of spleen and
liver.

12. L.MUCOSAL:
• It is the less common form.
• It can lead to partial or complete destruction of
mucous membranes in the nose , throat or
mouth.
• It sometimes can be occur the consequence of
the cutaneous leishmaniasis.

14. LIFE CYCLE:
• The life cycle begins when the infected female
sand fly bites the human host.
STAGE 1:
• Sand fly takes the blood meal.
• Injects promastigote stage into the skin.
• The promastigotes that reach the puncture
wound are phagocytized by macrophages.

15. STAGE 2:
• Promastigotes transform into amastigotes
STAGE 3:
• Amastigotes multiply in cell of various tissue and
other cells.
STAGE 4:
• Amastigotes multiply in cells of various tissuse
and infect other cells.
STAGE 5:
• Sandfly takes a blood meal
• Ingests macrophages infected with amastigotes.

16. STAGE 6:
• Ingestion of parasitized cell.
STAGE 7:
• Amastigotes transform into promastigote stage
in the gut.
STAGE 8:
• Divide in the gut and migrate to proboscis.

17. MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
• Mainly bites of sand fly.
• Blood transfustion
• Congenital infection
• Accidental inoculation of cultured promastigotes
in the lab.
• Sexual intercourse
• Mother to baby
• Males are affected more due to increased
exposure to sand flies through the occupation
and leisure activities.

18. RESERVOIR:
• Humans: in indian subcontinent
• Rodents: in africa
• Foxes: in brazil and central asia
• Dogs: in china

19. CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS:
• Fever
• Spleen enlargement
• Lymphadenopathy
• Darkening of skin
• Sores in skin
• Complication: pneumonia, TB, uncontrolled
haemorrhage.
• Prognosis: with an early treatment , cure rate
>90% if not treated , death occurs within 2
years.

20. DIAGNOSIS:
• The disease can be diagnosed by performing
blood test that look for antibodies against the
parasite or antigen .
• Or can be diagnosed by the urine test.
• PCR can be identified by parasite based on the
genetic fingerprint.
• The best test is to identify the parasite through
the microscope.

21. TREATMENT:
• The only food and drug administration[FAD]
approved medications for treatment of
leishmaniasis are intravenous liposomal
amphotericin B [L-AmB] for VL .
• oral miltefosine for CL, ML AND VL caused by
particular species.