Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
09:53
In vivo Imaging of Transgenic Leishmania Parasites in a Live Host
Published on: July 27, 2010
16.1K
Leishmaniasis: Recent epidemiological studies in the Middle East
Chinyere A Knight1, David R Harris1, Shifaa O Alshammari2
1Department of Biology, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, United States.
Frontiers in Microbiology
|February 23, 2023
Summary
Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease transmitted by sandflies, poses a significant threat in the Middle East. This review examines its epidemiology and treatment in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Area of Science:
- Tropical medicine
- Infectious diseases
- Parasitology
Background:
- Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) and the third leading vector-borne illness globally.
- The protozoan parasite *Leishmania* is transmitted by sandflies, causing cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis.
- The Middle East experiences the most severe impacts of leishmaniasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current epidemiological status of leishmaniasis in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
- To consider available treatment options for leishmaniasis in these endemic regions.
- To highlight the risk of disease transmission across borders.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of epidemiological data.
- Analysis of transmission dynamics.
- Overview of current treatment strategies.
Main Results:
- Leishmaniasis is prevalent in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
- Disease transmission poses a risk to non-endemic neighboring regions.
- Treatment options vary and require consideration within the epidemiological context.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the epidemiology and transmission of leishmaniasis is crucial for control efforts in the Middle East.
- Targeted treatment strategies are essential to manage the disease burden.
- Cross-border collaboration is necessary to prevent the spread of leishmaniasis.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Fungal Phylum Microsporidia
Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
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...
01:29Malaria
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...
01:22American Trypanosomiasis
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
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...
01:21Antiprotozoal 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...