A review of leishmaniasis in west Africa

The DiseaseLeishmaniasis is vector-borne disease caused by blood and tissue dwelling protozoan parasite species belonging to the genus Leishmania. It is basically a disease of animals that gets into the human population when man, flies and the animal reservoirs coexist in the same environment. In man, infections with Leishmania parasites results in a broad range of clinical manifestations involving the skin, mucous membranes and visceral organs with devastating consequences. Two main forms of leishmaniasis have been reported in humans. These are Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, which is a less severe for of the disease with usually self-healing ulcers and Visceral Leishmaniasis, the most severe form of the disease which can result in 100% mortality of infected patients if not treated1. A third form, muco-cutaneous leishmaniasis, results in extensive disfiguring lesions of the nose, mouth and throat mucous membranes. The diverse clinical manifestations of the disease result from a reaction between the virulence of the parasite species and the host's immune response.