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Pesky Sand Flies to Blame for Leishmaniasis

Sand flies are not only pesky creatures but they can make your life miserable when you are traveling thanks to the parasitic disease they carry. This tropical disease is called leishmaniasis and it comes in several forms - visceral leishmaniasis which affects internal organs of the body and cutaneous leishmaniasis which can cause sores on the skin.

Phlebotomine sand flies are the culprit and they pick up the leishmaniasis infection from an infected animal or human and then pass it on to another unsuspecting victim through their itchy bites. These sand flies are tiny, about a third of the size of a mosquito. No one realizes they are around because they make no noise. These sand flies are most active from dusk to dawn and do not like the hot parts of a day. However, if you disturb their resting place, like a bush or tree trunk, they will bite in retaliation.

This parasitic disease contaminating the sand flies are prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world like Central and South America, parts of Mexico, the Middle East, Asia, regions in southern Europe and Africa. This disease cannot be spread from person to person unless there is some blood swapping involved like shared needles or blood transfusions.

Symptoms and Treatment of Leishmaniasis

The cutaneous form of this tropical disease causes sores on the skin. The sores can change in looks and size over a period of time and can be quite disfiguring. Some sores have a crater-like appearance with an edge around it and some will have scabs while others don't. Again, some are painful and others are not. Each person is different and there could be swollen glands surrounding the sore areas.

The visceral form of leishmaniasis causes a loss of weight, fever, and distended liver and spleen. There may also be swollen glands and there are often low blood counts all across the board when blood is drawn. Low white blood cells, low red blood cells and even low platelet counts. While drawing blood is the best way to diagnose leishmaniasis, especially the visceral version, there are times when it could come up negative. If this disease is even suspected, a doctor would be wise to send blood samples to the Centers for Disease Control for additional and definitive testing.

There is no particular treatment for leishmaniasis and patients are treated on a case by case basis. It is estimated that over a million of new cases of the cutaneous form of leishmaniasis occurs each year and up to half a million of the visceral version of the disease. It could take several weeks after the bite of a sand fly before any symptoms like skin sores develop or as long as several years.

Prevention of Leishmaniasis

Prevention is the best course of action to avoid this tropical disease. Avoid activities outdoors, particularly from dusk to dawn, the active hours for the sand flies. Stick to air conditioned and screened areas as much as possible. Wear long-sleeved shirts, socks and long pants and tuck everything in so there is nowhere the sand fly can get to your bare skin.

Insect repellent with DEET is optimal and should be applied to uncovered skin as well as under and around the ends of pants and shirts. Use permethrin (an insecticide) treated mosquito netting to protect your living area should you not be sleeping in protected air conditioned areas. Also, treating your clothing with permethrin as well as your bedding is a smart move as well. Avoiding the bite of the sand fly is the only recourse for the prevention of leishmaniasis.