🧵 Have you heard of leishmaniasis?
This neglected tropical disease affects 700,000 to 1 million people each year, mostly in low-income communities. It’s caused by Leishmania parasites, spread by sandflies.
It has three main forms ⤵️ [1/6]
This neglected tropical disease affects 700,000 to 1 million people each year, mostly in low-income communities. It’s caused by Leishmania parasites, spread by sandflies.
It has three main forms ⤵️ [1/6]
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🟠 Cutaneous: it causes skin ulcers that can scar and lead to stigma.
🟠 Mucocutaneous: it affects the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth or throat. It can cause severe tissue damage and disfigurement.
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While anyone who is exposed to infected sandflies can be affected by leishmaniasis, individuals living in poverty, children, elderly people and people who are immunocompromised are most at risk of disease.
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Several strategies are needed to do this – including early diagnosis and treatment, surveillance and vector-control methods like insecticide sprays.
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Leishmaniasis is curable, but treating it is challenging, particularly in low-income communities
Existing treatments have several limitations and have largely remained the same since the 1940s.
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But greater global investment and action is needed to better understand, monitor and protect people from the disease.
Read our explainer to learn more: https://wellcome.org/news/what-is-leishmaniasis-causes-prevention-treatment?utm_source=&utm_medium=o-wellcome&utm_campaign=bluesky&utm_content= [6/6]