Update Analysis - Pharmaprojects' monthly newsletter
The Update Analysis is the free monthly newsletter for Pharmaprojects. The December
issue delves into the little publicised disease leishmaniasis, and features 3
meeting reports. Pharmaprojects highlights follow on from this, including new
companies, news headlines and updates. Don't miss this issue's Search Tip of the
Month on the last page, which demonstrates how to contact the editor who last
updated a profile.
Download the complete issue here.
Leishmaniasis: an old plague for a new world
An estimated 2 million people become infected with the Leishmania parasite every
year. The resulting disease lacks notoriety, particularly as it occurs most frequently
in developing countries, but is nevertheless well documented. Texts dating back
to the 15th and 16th
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A sandfly vector of Leishmania parasites takes a blood meal. |
century Incan period refer to the risk run by seasonal agricultural workers who
were found to have skin ulcers when they returned from the Andes, which was attributed
to ‘valley sickness’ or ‘Andean sickness’. Over time, further terms were coined,
including ‘white leprosy’ because of the strong resemblence of the characteristic
lesions to leprosy; ‘black fever’, and ‘Dum-Dum fever’, which was named after
a town considered to be particularly unhealthy.
One of the first clinical descriptions of Leishmaniasis was made in 1756 by Alexander
Russell, but it was William Boog Leishman who clinically identified the Leishmania
organism - the protozoal flagellates of which there are 11 specific species -
in 1901. Captain Donovan defined it as a “new” organism soon after, in 1903, and
Major Ross made the final link and named it Leishmania donovani. Many other species
of organism have since been separately identified, most of which are found in
the systemic or visceral form of infection. It was revealed that the parasite
is transmitted to humans and animal reservoirs from the bite of one of female
sand flies, of which there are 31 species.
To read the rest of this article and register for your FREE download of the Update Analysis (PDF) please click here >> December 2006: Leishmaniasis: an old plague for a new world
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