This is a parasitic disease caused by the infection of Leishmania parasites that are transmitted by the bite of infected sand flies. Leishmaniasis is found in several countries in the tropics and sub-tropics. There are various forms of Leishmaniasis among people and the common ones include cutaneous Leishmaniasis, visceral Leishmaniasis and the less common type, the mucosal Leishmaniasis. The cutaneous type causes skin sores and the visceral type can affect internal organs of the body such as the liver, spleen and bone marrow. As most cases do not present any symptoms, hence the term Leishmaniasis refers to the condition of the individual becoming ill from this infection.
Symptoms
The cutaneous Leishmaniasis causes the skin sores that can occur within weeks or months after the bite of the fly. The sores can initially start out as bumps (papules) or lumps (nodules) or can develop as ulcers. These sores are commonly painless and some people present swollen glands near these sores. The visceral Leishmaniasis can develop within months or weeks after the initial sand fly bite. It can affect several organs of the body such as the liver, spleen and the bone marrow. This type of infection can develop within months or years after the bite of the sand fly which can be life threatening. The symptoms include weight loss, enlargement of the spleen or the liver, fever, anemia, low platelet count and decreased white blood count. The mucosal Leishmaniasis can spread from the skin affecting the mucous membranes of the throat, mouth and the nose.
Causes
The main cause of infection is with the bite of the female phlebotomine sand flies that become infected after taking the blood of an infected animal or an individual. The sand flies do not make noise, their bites go unnoticed and are small in size which makes an individual unaware of their presence. Few types of Leishmania parasites can also be transmitted to another individual with the contaminated needles or with blood transfusions.
Diagnosis
The initial step involved in the diagnosis of this condition is to confirm travel to parts of the world where Leishmaniasis is found and in the identification of symptoms associated with it. The cutaneous Leishmaniasis may require the tissue sample and visceral Leishmaniasis needs bone marrow for laboratory testing where the parasite may be detected in special culture or using the microscope. The blood test can also determine the presence of antibody to the parasite that can help with the diagnosis.
Treatment
The treatment of this condition is based on the type of diseases that occurs. Some of the therapies include electrosurgery, excision and cryotherapy. The cutaneous Leishmaniasis can heal on its own without the need for treatment which can sometimes take months or years. It is best to prevent the mucosal Leishmaniasis by addressing the cutaneous infection which can spread from the skin causing sores in the mucous membranes. Certain medications are available to treat the visceral Leishmaniasis which can be fatal in some cases causing death.
References
http://www.who.int/leishmaniasis/disease/en/
https://medlineplus.gov/leishmaniasis.html
