Overview
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread by the bite of the sandfly and can cause skin disease and systemic disease. The systemic form can be fatal, but treatment with antimony-containing compounds produces a high cure rate.
Review Date 8/26/2023
Updated by: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor in Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.