Photo couretsy of Professor David Ferguson
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- Leishmaniasis is recognized by the World Health Organization as a "neglected" disease – one that has particular impact on the world's most vulnerable populations.
- Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of a sand fly, a tiny and often unrecognized threat. Leishmaniasis is found in 88 countries, and the disease afflicts over 12 million worldwide. Four major forms of the infection are known, but the most lethal form of the disease is visceral leishmaniasis.
- Also known as "black fever" or "kala azar", visceral leishmaniasis infects 500,000 annually, and is responsible for 60,000 deaths each year. Ninety percent of all cases occur in five countries: India, which has the greatest burden of the disease, Bangladesh, Brazil, Nepal and Sudan.
- Left untreated, the visceral form of leishmaniasis is universally fatal. The disease typically affects children and young adults in the poorest populations.
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