Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a protozoan disease that is recorded in several Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries including Egypt. In Egypt, both forms of the disease that are Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) were recorded in several geographical localities. Different Leishmania isolates were isolated from different cases of leishmaniasis where several diagnostic tests that include parasite culturing, patterns of isoenzymes, inoculation of experimental animal models and molecular methods were used to define the underlined causative organism in each case. However, several reports of conflict in these studies make it harder to compile a map of disease distribution, its prevalence, the causative Leishmania species and the type of vector sandfly involved. Another significant problem is the absence of notification system with many of disease cases were just went unreported or been treated from dermatological aspect (CL) or internal medicine aspect (VL). All of these factors contribute to the neglect of the disease by health authorities and hinder the prospective of any control programs that can be deployed to combat it. In this review, we will start by summarizing the most recent data on the epidemiology, disease patterns and the life cycle of the causative organism. Then, in a more specific way, we will move to discuss the history of the disease and its geographical distribution, and to proceed by discussing the currently applied methods of diagnosis, and to finish by highlighting the control and treatment programs that are in act against the disease. All of the above will principally contribute to a better understanding of the disease epidemiology and will provide a foundation upon which more effective control and treatment programs should be developed..
Highlights
Leishmaniasis is an infectious disfiguring vector-borne disease, which is caused by protozoan parasite of genus Leishmania, and in which humans get infected through the bite of infected sandfly of genus phlebotomus [1,2,3]
According to the most recent reports by WHO and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Leishmaniasis affects people in nearly 88 developing and developed countries where about 350 million people are living in these regions
Leishmaniasis is an obligate intracellular vector born parasitic disease caused by kinetoplastid protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania and transmitted by vector host of sandflies
Summary
What is Leishmaniasis?Leishmaniasis is an infectious disfiguring vector-borne disease, which is caused by protozoan parasite of genus Leishmania, and in which humans get infected through the bite of infected sandfly of genus phlebotomus [1,2,3]. In 1903, physicians Leishman and Donovan were first to describe the protozoan causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis They recovered it in stained smears from spleen of affected patients who developed symptoms of malaria-like disease, and later named it Leishmania donovani [6,7]. Leishmaniasis could be broadly classified into three major clinical forms [2] These are cutaneous leishmaniasis (which is the most common form), mucocutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis (the most serious form of the disease). The papule grows in size and after sometime it eventually turns to crust form which may ulcerates Unless it is complicated by secondary infections, majority of cutaneous cases will eventually heal on itself within 2-10 months [9].
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