leishmaniasis

American  

[leesh-muh-nahy-uh-sis, lahysh-] / ˌliʃ məˈnaɪ ə sɪs, ˌlaɪʃ- /

Also leishmaniosis

noun

Pathology.

1. any infection caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania.

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leishmaniasis British  

/ -ˌmæn-, ˌliːʃməˈnaɪəsɪs, liːʃˌmeɪnɪˈəʊsɪs /

noun

1. any disease, such as kala-azar, caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania

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leishmaniasis Scientific  

/ lēsh′mə-nī′ə-sĭs /

1. An infection or disease caused by any of the flagellate protozoans of the genus Leishmania, transmitted to humans and animals by bloodsucking sand flies and characterized by skin ulcerations or an acute illness marked by fever, anemia, and enlargement of the liver and spleen.

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Etymology

Origin of leishmaniasis

First recorded in 1910–15; leishman(ia) + -iasis

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

leishmaniasis

Cases of kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, have spiked in Kenya, from 1,575 in 2024 to 3,577 in 2025, according to the health ministry.

From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026

"If our hypothesis is correct, these cells could be exploited therapeutically not only for visceral leishmaniasis, but also for other chronic infections," concludes the researcher.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024

He was diagnosed with leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that is spread in the bite of a female sand fly and which plagues poor people who work in fields or forests across developing countries.

From New York Times ● Dec. 19, 2023

The lack of pain in leishmaniasis lesions has puzzled scientists for years, especially when similar blisters caused by conditions like chicken pox, staphylococcus infections or the herpes virus are itchy, oozy and sore.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2023

Guinea pigs may have contributed a trypanosome infection like Chagas’ disease or leishmaniasis to our catalog of woes, but that’s uncertain.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond