Incidence Of Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease which is spread by the bite of sand flies infected with the protozoa Leishmania Donovani. The most common forms of it are the cutaneous which characterized by soreness of the skin.

Visceral leishmaniasis is much more dangerous and it acts deep in the body and affects some of the internal organs of the body like the spleen, liver, bone marrow. People affected with cutaneous leishmaniasis have sores which can change in size and color over a period of time and gets severe with lack of treatment or undiagnosed condition. At their acute stages it looks like volcano eruptions like a ring or a crater like appearance and color ranging from a harsh red to a yellow or orange. There are a number of types of protozoa like L. Donovani, L. Infantum, L. Chagasi, L. Mexicana which can cause leishmaniasis.

Sometimes poor nutrition, infection, and other stresses expose the affected patients to increased fear and hence higher mortality rates.

Economic conditions like national emergencies, large migrating crowds, and consistent famine increase the incidence and the development of the Leishmaniasis. Out of the 350 million people living in the incident areas the disease kills around 80000 people annually. Males are found to be susceptible to the attack rather than females and there are some forms of parasites which attack children more than the adults. Untreated visceral leishmaniasis in a pregnant mother increases the chances of having grave consequences on the fetus or may also result in congenital visceral leishmaniasis.

People affected with cutaneous leishmaniasis have sores which can change in size and color over a period of time and gets severe with lack of treatment or undiagnosed condition. At their acute stages it looks like volcano eruptions like a ring or a crater like appearance and color ranging from a harsh red to a yellow or orange. Untreated cutaneous leishmaniasis can progress to the second level of danger and into mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.

Death usually occurs due to secondary infection which affects the internal organs.

People who have visceral leishmaniasis suffer from high fever, weight loss, chills, loss of appetite, emaciation, malaise, an enlarged spleen and liver. Swollen glands are common, a low red blood cell count or progressive anemia, a low white blood cell count, leucopenia is also seen. Most of the world's cases of visceral leishmaniasis are from Asian countries like Nepal and from south American countries like Brazil, Argentina, Africa and also the middle east. Leishmaniasis is not prevalent in the countries along the pacific like Australia etc. Visceral leishmaniasis has the greatest mortality rates of around 85% when left untreated or undiagnosed. The social isolation and outcast effect which can occur from the seriously disfiguring scars and flesh infection can cause vast psychological problems.

Other protozoan parasites which the sand flys may carry are pappataci fever and carrions disease. While Leishmaniasis may not as widely known as a killer disease like malaria, it is equally painful and dangerous as malaria or dengue.