Overview
Leishmaniasis is seen in the United States mainly in people who have traveled outside the U.S. There are several different types of leishmaniasis, but all are transmitted by the bite of a sandfly. An initial sore develops at the site of the bite, as shown here. The infection may spread through the body from that point.
Review Date 8/26/2023
Updated by: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor in Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.