

IDSA, ASTMH release leishmaniasis guidelines following increase in US cases
An increase in leishmaniasis cases among travelers, immigrants and soldiers in the United States prompted the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene to develop new evidence-based recommendations. “Leishmaniasis is an increasingly common infection in ecotourists traveling to Central and South America. Travelers visiting the jungle in the Amazon basin have a high likelihood of being exposed,” Naomi E. Aronson, MD, of the


Deadly Parasitic Disease Finding Its Way to US Soil
Once thought to only be an issue for certain areas outside of the United States, cases of Leishmaniasis are on the rise as US soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and ecotourists in South and Central America make their way home. New guidelines released by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) this week highlight rapid diagnostic tests and innovative treatment strategies against this growing issu

Epidemiologic Correlates of Mortality among Symptomatic Visceral Leishmaniasis Cases: Findings from
More than 70% cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a parasitic disease transmitted by sand flies, in India are reported from Bihar, a resource-poor state. In absence of early diagnosis and treatment, the fatality is very high among symptomatic VL cases. However, community-based data on VL mortality is limited in Bihar. Also, little information on the factors associated with mortality among symptomatic VL patients is available from this Indian state. Evidences regarding morta