Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
11:36
Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the Dorsal Skin of Hamsters: a Useful Model for the Screening of Antileishmanial Drugs
Published on: April 21, 2012
The relationship between leishmaniasis and AIDS: the second 10 years
Jorge Alvar1, Pilar Aparicio, Abraham Aseffa
1Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. alvarj@who.int
Clinical Microbiology Reviews
|April 11, 2008
Summary
Leishmania-HIV coinfection is underreported globally, especially in Africa and Asia. This review focuses on managing coinfected patients in low-income, endemic countries.
Area of Science:
- Medical Parasitology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Leishmania and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection cases are predominantly reported from Southern Europe, with nearly 2,000 cases identified by 2001.
- However, reported figures are misleading due to underreporting in African and Asian countries, stemming from inadequate diagnostic facilities and reporting systems.
- Coinfection incidence is rising in the Americas (Brazil) and parts of Africa (Ethiopia) due to overlapping transmission zones and social factors like migration and conflict.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and focus on the management strategies for patients coinfected with Leishmania and HIV.
- To provide insights relevant to low-income countries where leishmaniasis is endemic, drawing from European coinfection experiences.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on Leishmania-HIV coinfection.
- Analysis of reported cases and epidemiological trends.
- Synthesis of management experiences from Europe applied to low-income country contexts.
Main Results:
- Southern Europe historically reported the majority of Leishmania-HIV coinfections, but this is changing.
- Significant underreporting exists in Africa and Asia, masking the true global burden.
- Rising incidence in Brazil and specific African regions (e.g., Ethiopia up to 30% coinfection in visceral leishmaniasis) highlights increasing prevalence.
- India faces a growing challenge with coinfections, coupled with high leishmaniasis burden and antimonial drug resistance.
Conclusions:
- Accurate global surveillance of Leishmania-HIV coinfection is hampered by diagnostic and reporting limitations, particularly in Africa and Asia.
- The management of Leishmania-HIV coinfection in low-income, endemic settings requires tailored strategies informed by prior European experiences.
- Addressing coinfection necessitates improved diagnostics, reporting, and treatment protocols in resource-limited regions.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is a protozoal disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. The parasite exists in two principal morphological forms during its life cycle. A sandfly acquires intracellular amastigotes from an infected reservoir host, such as a dog. Within the sandfly, these forms differentiate into motile, flagellated promastigotes. During a subsequent blood meal, promastigotes are injected into the human host, where they...
01:21Antiprotozoal Agents
Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...
01:28Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
01:29Malaria
Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...
01:10Retrovirus Life Cycles
Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the retrovirus to...
01:25Immunodeficiency Diseases
Immunodeficiency disorders are conditions in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. The immune system comprises a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from potentially harmful invaders. When this system is deficient or not functioning properly, it leaves the body susceptible to infections, diseases, or other complications.
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...