Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a dermatosis that occurs as a sequel of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Elimination of VL requires detection and treatment of PKDL, necessarily because of its capacity to serve as a reservoir for the causative parasite, Leishmania donovani. Diagnosis of PKDL presents a challenge due to low parasite burden in the lesions. In this article we have reviewe...

India and neighboring Nepal, Bangladesh along with Sudan and Brazil are the four largest foci of visceral leishmaniasis and account for 90% of the world's visceral leishmaniasis (VL) burden, with India being the worst affected. High degree of suspicion is usually based on patient presenting from endemic area with features of pancytopenia hepatosplenomegaly. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytic (HLH...

The group of diseases known as the leishmaniases are caused by obligate intracellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania (39). Natural transmission of leishmania is carried out by a certain species of sandfly of the genus Phlebotomus (Old World) or Lutzomyia (New World). These are present in three different forms: (i) visceral leishmaniasis (VL), (ii) cutaneous leishmaniasis, and (iii) mucocutane...

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe and often fatal form of caused by Leishmania donovani in the Indian sub-continent. Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) late cutaneous manifestation VL, typically occurring after apparent cure but sometimes even without prior history VL India. PKDL serves as significant yet neglected reservoir infection plays crucial role transmission disease, posin...

BACKGROUND Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are important public health problems in Iran. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic potential of Western blot (WB) compared with indirect immunofluorescence test (IFAT) to serodiagnosis of leishmaniasis. METHODS This study was performed from 2010-2014 and participants were different parts of Iran. Serum samples were obtaine...

BACKGROUND In the Indian subcontinent, Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in a geographical area coinciding with the Lower Gangetic Plain, at low altitude. VL occurring in residents of hill districts is therefore often considered the result of Leishmania donovani infection during travel. Early 2014 we conducted an outbreak investigation in Okhaldhunga and Bhojpur districts in the Nepal hills whe...

Recent years have seen a significant improvement in available treatment options for leishmaniasis. Two new drugs, miltefosine and paromomycin, have been registered for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in India since 2002. Combination therapy is now explored in clinical trials as a new treatment approach for VL to reduce the length of treatment and potentially prevent selection of re...

Leishmaniasis, a globally prevalent parasitic disease, occurs in three forms, viz, visceral, cutaneous and mucocutaneous. It is transmitted by female Phlebotomus sandflies. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is increasing worldwide and several reports indicate a rising trend of VL / HIV co-infection, modifying the traditional anthroponotic pattern of VL transmission. India is one of t...

BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis include cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). About 90% of cases occur in the tropics or subtropics but the disease is also endemic in the Mediterranean area. No systematic analysis on leishmaniasis in travellers visiting endemic areas in ...

Diagnostic tests for visceral leishmaniasis that are based on antigens of a single Leishmania strain can have low diagnostic performance in regions where heterologous parasites predominate. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the performance of five serological tests, based on different Leishmania antigens, in three endemic countries for visceral leishmaniasis. A total number o...