Leishmania:
Leishmania is a genus of protozoan parasites belonging to the Trypanosomatidae family. These intracellular parasites are responsible for causing leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease affecting humans and various mammalian hosts. Leishmania exhibits a digenetic life cycle, involving a promastigote form in the sandfly vector and an amastigote form within the host’s macrophages.

Diseases caused by Leishmania:
Leishmaniasis manifests in different clinical forms, ranging from localized skin lesions to systemic and potentially fatal visceral infections. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common form, characterized by skin sores or ulcers at the site of the sandfly bite. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) can lead to destructive lesions of the mucous membranes. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, affects internal organs such as the spleen, liver, and bone marrow, causing prolonged fever, weight loss, and anemia.

Detection and Diagnosis of Leishmania:
Diagnosing leishmaniasis involves a combination of clinical evaluation, microscopic examination, and laboratory tests. Microscopic examination of tissue smears or aspirates allows for the visualization of amastigotes within host cells. Culture of Leishmania parasites from clinical specimens can be performed in specialized media. Serological tests, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) offered here, detect antibodies against Leishmania. Molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are used for the direct detection of Leishmania DNA. Treatment involves antimonial drugs, amphotericin B, or miltefosine, depending on the form and severity of the disease.