Lower trypanosomatids in HIV/AIDS patients

Although the family Trypanosomatidae includes parasites of plants, insects and vertebrates, only two genera in the family, Leishmania and Trypanosoma, are usually found in humans. Since 1995, however, other monoxenous trypanosomatids have been isolated from several HIV-positive individuals, in whom the parasites cause either visceral or cutaneous lesions. These odd cases are reviewed here. It appears that immunocompromised patients may be vulnerable to infection with trypanosomatids (and other parasites) that either fail to survive or never cause detectable morbidity in the immunocompetent.