Emerging Parasitic Disease Mimics the Symptoms of Visceral Leishmaniasis in People | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Emerging Parasitic Disease Mimics the Symptoms of Visceral Leishmaniasis in People | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Emerging Parasitic Disease Mimics the Symptoms of Visceral Leishmaniasis in People

Leishmaniasis is a widespread tropical disease spread by sand flies. Some forms of the illness, including visceral leishmaniasis, can be fatal without treatment. A team of researchers, including a NIAID scientist, have described a case of a parasitic disease which mimics the symptoms of visceral leishmaniasis, but cannot be treated with standard leishmaniasis drugs. This may represent a new emerging infectious disease—a concerning prospect, the researchers say, because the parasite that caused this disease normally infects mosquitoes, and there is currently no treatment for it.