A Novel Field Deployable Point-of-Care Diagnostic Test for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan Leishmania and is generally transmitted by the bite of sand flies of the genus Lutzomyia or Phlebotomus, The disease has significant global impact, producing 10-20 million cases of leishmaniasis worldwide.Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is characterized by chronic skin ulcers that can impact the individuals functional status, lead to expensive and untimely treatment, and result in disfiguring scarring. Leishmaniasis causes a spectrum of diseases that include localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL), and destructive nasal and oropharyngeal lesions of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML). LCL in the New World is most commonly caused by species of the Viannia subgenus (L. braziliensis, L. panamensis, L. guyanensis, L.peruviana) and to a lesser extent by species of the Leishmania subgenus (L. mexicana, L. amazonensis). Historically, the leishmaniases have had significant impact on military operations. Thousands of cases of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis occurred in soldiers in World Wars I and II. Military training and combat operations resulted in cases of CL in soldiers (USA, UK)deployed to Central America. More recently (2003-2004), CL was reported in almost 1,200 members of the U.S. Armed Forces deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the infection is an ongoing concern in the OEF/OIF veteran population. Unpublished information indicates that the number of military personnel with cutaneous leishmaniasis could exceed 3,000.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- AD1006435
Entities
People
- Robert V. Gerbasi
Organizations
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine