Made by :Aashish Dewangan

Roll no: 11
Leishmania tropica are a protozoan endoparasite, residing in human skin causing
cutaneous leishmaniasis or oriental sore (oriental boil). It is primarily transmitted
to humans by the bite of the sand-fly .This causative agent of oriental sore was
observed in 1855 by Cunningham however, it was discovered by and Identified by
William Leishman in 1901. Wild rodents and domestic dogs are the reservoir for
the parasite.
A less common, but even more serious, form of leishmania infection is visceral
leishmaniasis or kala-azar, meaning Black Fever in Hindi. This manifestation is
internal, and a greatly enlarged spleen and liver is one of the primary hallmarks of
the disease, as well as fever, fatigue, and anaemia.
Phylum Protozoa
Sub phylum
Plasmodroma
Class Mastigophora
Order Protomonadina
Genus Leishmania
 Life cycle
L. tropica is a digenetic parasite. The primary host is man whereas the secondary host are sand-flies of the genus
Phlebotomus. In different parts of the world different species of sand-fly act as vector. In India, Phlebotomus
sergenti is the common intermediate host.
Two morphologically different forms exist during the life cycle. The amastigote (leishmanial) form resides in the
large mononuclear cells of the skin of human beings.
They multiply in number by binary fission. When the sand-fly takes the blood meal from the infected person, the
parasites reaches the gut of the secondary host, where they change into promastigote (leptomonad) form. The
promastigote form increases their number by binary fission and in about three weeks time reaches the proboscis of
the fly.
When an infected sand-fly bite a healthy man, the parasite is inoculated into the new host, where it again changes
into amastigote form. In this way, the life cycle and mode of reproduction of L. tropica and L. donovani are
essentially alike.
 Disease
The incubation period varies from few weeks to
six months. In certain cases it may be up to two
years. The parasite produces cutaneous lession
called oriental sore or tropical sore or Delhi
ulcer. The disease is mild in nature and is often
self terminating. The lesion first appears as a
raised nodule, which gets ulcerated with a
surrounding red areola. The ulcer usually heals
spontaneously in about six months, leaving a
white scar.
The oriental sore generally, appears on face and
body extremities. The number of sore may be
one or more than one (2 or 3) each covering a
diameter of 1 to 5 cm.
Treatment A person suffering from oriental sore develops acquired
immunity against the parasite so a patient should not be given
chemotherapy for a period of at least 30 days of incubation.
Dehydroemetine in an oral dose of 100 mg daily for 2 3 weeks
is recommended as drug of choice.

1. Destruction and population control of the transmitting agent

i.e., sand-flies.
2. Elimination of the reservoir host.
3. Protection from the bite of sand-flies.
4. Innoculation of leishmania vaccine prepared from the dead
culture of L. tropica.