Also called: Also called: Kala-azar
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread by the bite of infected sand flies. There are several different forms of leishmaniasis. The most common are cutaneous and visceral. The cutaneous type causes skin sores. The visceral type affects internal organs such as the spleen, liver and bone marrow. People with this form usually have fever, weight loss and an enlarged spleen and liver.
Leishmaniasis is found in parts of about 88 countries. Most of these countries are in the tropics and subtropics. It is possible but very unlikely that you would get this disease in the United States. But you should be aware of it if you are traveling to the Middle East or parts of Central America, South American, Asia, Africa or southern Europe.
The best way to prevent the disease is to protect yourself from sand fly bites. If not treated, leishmaniasis can be serious. Visceral disease can be deadly.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Leishmaniasis
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/leishmaniasis/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/leishmaniasisspanish/htm/index.htm -
Leishmaniasis
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/leishmaniasis/
- Just the Facts: Leishmaniasis(US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://usachppm.apgea.army.mil/Documents/FACT/18-008-0307_Leishmaniasis.pdf
- Leishmania Infection (Leishmaniasis)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/leishmania/factsht_leishmania.htm
- Leishmaniasis(World Health Organization) - http://www.who.int/leishmaniasis/en/
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Researchers Find Leishmaniasis Parasites Evade Death by Exploiting the Immune Response to Sand Fly Bites(08/14/2008, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www.nih.gov/news/health/aug2008/niaid-14.htm
- Diagnosis of Parasitic Diseases(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/public/geninfo_diagnosis_diseases.htm
- Preventing Leishmaniasis(Dept. of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center) - Links to PDF - http://deploymenthealthlibrary.fhp.osd.mil/products/Leishmaniasis%20Prevention%20(155).pdf
- Leishmania Infection (Leishmaniasis) and Animals(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/leishmania.htm
- Leishmaniasis: Health Information for International Travel(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-Leishmaniasis.aspx
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Leishmaniasis(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/leishmaniasis/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/leishmaniasisspanish/htm/index.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Leishmaniasis(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Leishmaniasis%22
- Article: Treatment of leishmaniasis with miltefosine: 2008 status. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18721114&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Leishmaniasis: drug resistance and natural products (review). - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18698485&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Safety of a pre-formulated amphotericin B lipid emulsion for the... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18664241&tool=MedlinePlus
- Leishmaniasis -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(leishmania[majr]+OR+leishmaniasis[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Leishmaniasis - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=Leishmaniasis
- Dept. of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center - http://www.pdhealth.mil/
- National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne, and Enteric Diseases, Division of Parasitic Diseases(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
- Parasitic Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/parasiticdiseases.html
- Traveler's Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/travelershealth.html
- Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html
- Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Leishmaniasis is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/