Leishmaniasis News and Research

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Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of infected sand flies. It is found in nearly 88 countries, from rain forests in Central and South America to deserts in the Middle East and west Asia. Some cases of the disease have also appeared in Mexico and Texas.

Leishmaniasis takes several different forms, including the most common cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores, and the more severe visceral leishmaniasis, which affects internal organs such as the spleen, liver, and bone marrow. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 1.5 million new cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis and 500,000 new cases of visceral leishmaniasis in the world each year.

Leishmania genome study reveals the parasites adaptation to the environment

A new study, conducted by researchers from the Institut Pasteur in Paris and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, have revealed that Leishmania adaptation is a consequence of reversible and frequent chromosomal amplifications.

23 Nov 2017

Leishmania adaptation to environmental changes results from frequent chromosomal amplifications

Leishmaniasis is an important human and veterinary disease caused by Leishmania parasites that affect 12 million people in over 98 endemic countries. The disease is now emerging in Europe due to climate change and massive population displacement.

23 Nov 2017

UTEP researchers one step closer to developing effective vaccine for cutaneous leishmaniasis

A research team at The University of Texas at El Paso is one step closer to developing an effective human vaccine for cutaneous leishmaniasis, a tropical disease found in Texas and Oklahoma, and affecting some U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

15 Nov 2017

GHIT Fund announces US$16.7 million to support development of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, a unique Japanese public-private partnership formed to battle infectious diseases around the globe, today announced US$16.7 million to support development of new compounds for fighting malaria and tuberculosis, a leishmaniasis vaccine and drug, and a treatment for a long-ignored flesh-eating infection.

31 Oct 2017

Researchers uncover promising targets for development of drugs against leishmaniasis

Brazilian researchers at the University of São Paulo's Bioscience Institute (IB-USP) are starting to unravel the molecular mechanisms by which the parasite that causes cutaneous leishmaniasis manages to circumvent the host organism's defenses and infect new cells.

5 Oct 2017

Immune response to parasite varies depending on what time infection occurs, study shows

Does the time of day matter when our body is infected by a parasite? According to new research from McGill University, it matters a great deal.

11 Sep 2017

LSTM researchers receive £6.4 million to develop evidence-based solutions for vector control

Researchers at LSTM have been awarded £6.4 million from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) to strengthen the global capacity to control vector borne diseases.

21 Jul 2017

Scientists discover role of skin in spreading leishmaniasis

Scientists at the University of York have discovered that parasites responsible for leishmaniasis - a globally occurring neglected tropical disease spread by sand flies - are mainly acquired from the skin rather than a person's blood.

5 Jul 2017

Study identifies potent molecular mechanism for insecticide resistance in sandfly species

A study led by LSTM identifies a potent molecular mechanism for insecticide resistance in the world's most medically-important sandfly species and develops DNA-diagnostics for monitoring future impact on visceral leishmaniasis control and elimination programs.

5 May 2017

WHO marching toward extraordinary progress against neglected tropical diseases, report reveals

Since 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been reporting outstanding success in dealing with neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with 1 billion people estimated to have received treatments in 2015.

19 Apr 2017

GHIT Fund invests in phase 3 clinical trial for pediatric formulation of ‘snail fever’ drug

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, a unique Japanese public-private partnership formed to battle infectious diseases around the globe, today announced 11 new investments totaling US$23 million that could help deliver a range of new innovative therapies for a host of debilitating conditions.

31 Mar 2017

Researchers discover promising target for treatment of leishmaniasis

Each year, about 2 million people contract leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of a sand fly. The cutaneous form of the disease results in disfiguring skin ulcers that may take months or years to heal and in rare cases can become metastatic, causing major tissue damage.

24 Feb 2017

New study proves that 'super-boosting' approach may help treat children co-infected with TB and HIV

The non-profit research and development organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative has released results of a study in South Africa that will make it easier for healthcare workers to treat children living with HIV who are co-infected with tuberculosis.

14 Feb 2017

Researchers find explanation for link between persistent infection and long-term immunity

Many infectious diseases are one and done; people get sick once and then they are protected from another bout of the same illness.

17 Jan 2017

Leishmaniasis infection rates increase among ecotourists, soldiers in the U.S.

Driven by burgeoning ecotourism and military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, a parasitic infection called leishmaniasis is showing up in more U.S. patients, often stumping doctors.

15 Nov 2016

Intestinal parasite increases susceptibility to colitis, study finds

Researchers from the University of Toronto have discovered that mice infected with the common gut parasite Tritrichomonas muris are at an increased risk of developing inflammatory colitis.

11 Nov 2016

Pre-travel consultation can help international travelers to prepare for trip

International tourism exceeds 1.2 billion persons each year, with more than 20 percent of travelers reporting some type of illness.

31 Aug 2016

Research findings pave way to effective strategies for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis

A study shows that stimulating the production of interleukin-17A (IL-17A), one of the cytokines released by cells of the immune system, can be an effective strategy for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis, considered one of the six most important parasitic diseases affecting humans.

25 Aug 2016

New compound could kill parasites of three neglected diseases

Scientists have identified a compound that can kill the parasites responsible for three neglected diseases: Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness.

8 Aug 2016

Physicians use social media to identify cutaneous leishmaniasis in teen travelers

A new report details how physicians and patients used social media to help diagnose cutaneous leishmaniasis in a group of teens who traveled on a youth adventure trip to Israel.

2 Aug 2016