 The Life Cycle of Leishmania The Life Cycle of Leishmania spp., the Causal Agents Leishmaniasis is transmitted by the bite of female flébotomine sandflies.Tbe sandflies inject the Infective stage, promastigotes, during blood meals (1). Promastigotes that reach the Puncture wound are phagocytized by macrophages (2} and transform into amastigotes (3). Amastigotes multiply in infected cells and affect different tissues, depending in part on the Leishmania species (4). This originates the clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis. Sandflies become infected during blood meals on an infected host when they ingest macrophages infected with amastigotes (5 and 6). In the sandfly’s midgut, the parasites differentiate into promastigotes (7), which multiply and migrate to the proboscis (8).  (Illustration: CDC/Alexander J da Silva/Mélanie Moser)  |
Published by Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
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Editor: Jaya Banerji - Tel: +41 22 906 9230 - Fax: +41 22 906 9231 - www.dndi.org
1 Place St Gervais 1201 Geneva Switzerland
Editor: Jaya Banerji - Tel: +41 22 906 9230 - Fax: +41 22 906 9231 - www.dndi.org