Symptoms+&+Disease+Program+-+Leishmaniasis

Below is the progression of Leishmaniasis: Promastigote: a stage in the development of particular protozoa; it is characterized by a free anterior flagellum. Amastigote: a stage in the development of particular protozoa, except that there is not a free anterior flagellum.

There are 4 forms of Leishmaniasis:
 * Visceral leishmaniasis: the most serious form and can be fatal if not treated.
 * Cutaneous leishmaniasis: the most common form of the disease; there is a sore at the site of infection, which can take months to years to fully heal and leaves an ugly scar. This form can form into any of the other three forms of leishmaniasis.
 * Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis: there are widespread skin lesions, and it looks like leprosy. It is particularly hard to treat.
 * Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis: lesions begin on the skin but spread to other tissues, especially within the nose and mouth.

It seems that the Leishmaniasis parasite has evolved to survive within our bodies despite the rapid immune response. The parasites use the patients' immune response mechanisms to its advantage; the environments that the neutrophils and macrophages provide a safe location for the parasite to flourish.

It is hard to pin down an exact incubation period since there are 4 different types of the disease. Nevertheless, the incubation period for cutaneous leishmaniasis is from 2 to 8 weeks, but it can be as long as 12 to 18 months.The skin sores that are characteristic of Leishmaniasis can take weeks or months to erupt. They begin as small swollen bites, but slowly enlarge over a few months. After they erupt, the lesions have a cratered, crusty center with a raised boarder. 45% of lesions occur on the head; 26% on the hands/wrist; and 19% on the lower arm, ankle, or foot. It is uncommon for multiple lesions to form, but they are common if an infected person is extremely young or extremely old. Usually, a person will find clusters of lesions if they have been bitten repeatedly by the same infected sandfly. An active lesion remains anywhere from 5 to 12 months. Once the lesions are healed, a person has scars and life-long immunity.

Other symptoms, which can take months to years to manifest include fever, damage to the spleen and/or liver, and anemia.