Question

After a trip to several South American countries, a middle-aged man becomes ill. He becomes anemic, loses weight, and runs a fever. The clinician notes a recently healed sore near his nose. Microscopic examination of a blood smear does not reveal anything other than the anemia. What parasitic infection is consistent with this scenario?

Answer 1

Answer:

The answer is leishmaniasis.

Explanation:

Leishmaniasis is transmitted through the bite of sandflies. It is caused by protozoan Leishmania parasites. According to the World Health Organization, In South America the epidemiology of leishmaniasis is complex and there are different transmission cycles, hosts, and clinical manifestations of the disease. There are also differential responses to therapy and a number of circulating Leishmania species. Brazil represents over 90% of the visceral leishmaniasis cases in South America which is the most lethal expression of the disease.