What is leishmania?

Leishmania is a genus of parasitic organism responsible for the disease leishmaniasis. The disease is spread by bites from sandflies, typically found in tropical or subtropical regions. There are three forms of leishmaniasis; visceral leishmaniasis (VL), cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (ML). VL typically presents with symptoms including enlarged spleen and liver, anaemia, weight loss and bouts of fever.

If left untreated, this type of leishmaniasis is fatal in over 95% of cases.  CL is the most common form of leishmaniasis, it is characterised by skin lesions and ulcers on exposed parts of the body, resulting in scarring. ML damages or destroys the protective mucosal membranes of the mouth, throat and nose.

Why take the test?

This test screens for specific leishmania strains in the blood by the outgrowth of the bacteria. It is used to detect specific strains of leishmania, which dictates what kind of leishmaniasis is present.