What is leishmaniasis?

Leishmaniasis (LEASH-ma-NIGH-a-sis) is a parasitic disease spread by the bite of infected sand flies. There are several different forms of leishmaniasis. The most common forms are cutaneous (cue-TAY-knee-us) leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores, and visceral (VIS-er-al) leishmaniasis, which affects some of the internal organs of the body (for example, spleen, liver, bone marrow).

What are the signs and symptoms of cutaneous leishmaniasis?

People who have cutaneous leishmaniasis have one or more sores on their skin. The sores can change in size and appearance over time. They often end up looking somewhat like a volcano, with a raised edge and central crater. Some sores are covered by a scab. The sores can be painless or painful. Some people have swollen glands near the sores (for example, under the arm if the sores are on the arm or hand).

What are the signs and symptoms of visceral leishmaniasis?

People who have visceral leishmaniasis usually have fever, weight loss, and an enlarged spleen and liver (usually the spleen is bigger than the liver). Some patients have swollen glands. Certain blood tests are abnormal. For example, patients usually have low blood counts, including a low red blood cell count (anemia), low white blood cell count, and low platelet count.

How common is leishmaniasis?

The number of new cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis each year in the world is thought to be about 1.5 million. The number of new cases of visceral leishmaniasis is thought to be about 500,000.

In what parts of the world is leishmaniasis found?

Leishmaniasis is found in parts of about 88 countries. Approximately 350 million people live in these areas. Most of the affected countries are in the tropics and subtropics. The settings in which leishmaniasis is found range from rain forests in Central and South America to deserts in West Asia. More than 90% of the world's cases of visceral leishmaniasis are in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sudan, and Brazil.

Leishmaniasis is found in some parts of the following areas:

in Mexico, Central America, and South America—from northern Argentina to Texas (not in Uruguay, Chile, or Canada)

southern Europe (leishmaniasis is not common in travelers to southern Europe)

Asia (not Southeast Asia)

the Middle East

Africa (particularly East and North Africa, with some cases elsewhere)

Leishmaniasis is not found in Australia or Oceania (that is, islands in the Pacific, including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia).

If I were bitten by an infected sand fly, how quickly would I become sick?

People with cutaneous leishmaniasis usually develop skin sores within a few weeks (sometimes as long as months) of when they were bitten.

People with visceral leishmaniasis usually become sick within several months (rarely as long as years) of when they were bitten.

Can leishmaniasis be a serious disease if not treated?

Yes, it can be. The skin sores of cutaneous leishmaniasis will heal on their own, but this can take months or even years. The sores can leave ugly scars. If not treated, infection that started in the skin rarely spreads to the nose or mouth and causes sores there (mucosal leishmaniasis). This can happen with some of the types of the parasite found in Central and South America. Mucosal leishmaniasis might not be noticed until years after the original skin sores healed. The best way to prevent mucosal leishmaniasis is to treat the cutaneous infection before it spreads.

If not treated, visceral leishmaniasis can cause death.

What should I do if I think I might have leishmaniasis?

See your health care provider, particularly if you have traveled to an area where leishmaniasis is found and you have developed skin sores that aren't healing. Be sure to tell your health care provider where you have traveled and that you might be at risk for leishmaniasis.

It is very rare for travelers to get visceral leishmaniasis.

How will my health care provider know if I have leishmaniasis?

The first step is to find out if you have traveled to a part of the world where leishmaniasis is found. Your health care provider will ask you about any signs or symptoms of leishmaniasis you may have, such as skin sores that have not healed. If you have skin sores, your health care provider will likely want to take some samples directly from the sores. These samples can be examined for the parasite under a microscope, in cultures, and through other means. A blood test for detecting antibody (immune response) to the parasite can be helpful, particularly for cases of visceral leishmaniasis. However, tests to look for the parasite itself should also be done. CDC staff can help with the laboratory testing. Diagnosing leishmaniasis can be difficult. Sometimes the laboratory tests are negative even if a person has leishmaniasis.

 

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