Kala-azar

Preventing sandfly bites is the most immediate form of protection. You can prevent a bite by:

• Wearing insect repellent
• Wearing protective clothing
• Screening windows
• Putting fine mesh netting around the bed (in areas where the disease occurs)

Public health measures to reduce the sandfly population and animal reservoirs are important. There are no preventive vaccines or drugs for leishmaniasis.

Jeronimo SMB, DeQueiroz-Sousa A, Pearson RD. Leishmaniasis. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 369.

Images

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis on the finger

Leishmania panamensis on the foot

Leishmaniasis, mexicana - lesion on the cheek

Leishmania panamensis - close-up

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Leishmaniasis Treatment

Review Date: 08/28/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)