The fitness of antimony-resistant Leishmania parasites: lessons from the field

Abstract

Because antimony compounds are the primary antileishmanial drugs in most developing countries, an understanding of the fitness cost associated with the acquisition of drug resistance is important for the management of leishmaniasis. The clinical manifestations of the disease range from self-healing cutaneous and mucocutaneous skin ulcers to a fatal visceral form, called visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar. In the absence of effective vaccines, the only way to treat and control leishmaniasis is through the use of affordable medications.