Parasitic diseases caused by
Leishmania and Trypanosoma species, known as neglected tropical diseases, are
responsible for high mortality and morbidity rates in developing countries.
Leishmaniasis is caused by more than 20 species of the kinetoplastid protozoan
parasite Leishmania, which is transmitted to humans by species of phlebotomine
sand flies.
It occurs in 98 countries with 350 million people living at risk.
According to the varied manifestations of the disease, leishmaniasis is
classified into four clinical forms: visceral, mucocutaneous, diffuse or disseminated cutaneous, and cutaneous. It is estimated that each year there are
200,000- 400,000 new cases of visceral leishmaniasis, 700,000- 1,200,000 new
cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, and about 20,000-30,000 deaths.
