Visceral Leishmaniasis and the Skin: Dermal Parasite Transmission to Sand Flies

Sahaana Arumugam; Breanna M Scorza; Christine Petersen

doi:10.3390/pathogens11060610

Back

Visceral Leishmaniasis and the Skin: Dermal Parasite Transmission to Sand Flies

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Visceral Leishmaniasis and the Skin: Dermal Parasite Transmission to Sand Flies

Sahaana Arumugam, Breanna M Scorza and Christine Petersen

Pathogens (Basel), Vol.11(6), p.610

01/01/2022

DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11060610

PMCID: PMC9228576

PMID: 35745464

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11060610View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease with significant dermal tropism. The skin is an important site of infection contributing to parasite transmission to naïve sand flies, but understanding how parasitism of host skin and the related immune microenvironment supports or prevents skin parasite replication is now the focus of major investigation in the field of leishmaniasis research. Here, we review dermatoimmunology during visceral leishmaniasis (VL), dermal Leishmania parasite burden, and the role of skin parasitism in transmissibility to sand fly vectors. First, we discuss the epidemiology of VL amongst dogs, the primary zoonotic reservoir for human infection. We explore the association between spatial distribution and the burden of parasites in the skin in driving outward transmission. Factors associated with parasite persistence in the skin are examined. We discuss systemic immunity during VL and what is known about immunological correlates in the skin microenvironment. Finally, we touch on factors egested into the skin during Leishmania inoculation by sand flies. Throughout, we discuss factors associated with the early and chronic establishment of Leishmania parasites in the skin and the role of the dermal immune response.

Climate Change

Epidemiology

Immune System

Immunology

Dogs

Flies

Immune response

Infections

Inoculation

Leishmania

Leishmaniasis

Mammals

Microenvironments

Parasites

Parasitic diseases

Parasitism

Spatial distribution

Tropism

Vector-borne diseases

Vectors

Visceral leishmaniasis

Zoonoses

Details

Title: Subtitle: Visceral Leishmaniasis and the Skin: Dermal Parasite Transmission to Sand Flies
Creators: Sahaana Arumugam
Breanna M Scorza
Christine Petersen
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Pathogens (Basel), Vol.11(6), p.610
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11060610
PMID: 35745464
PMCID: PMC9228576
NLM abbreviation: Pathogens
eISSN: 2076-0817
Publisher: MDPI AG
Language: English
Date published: 01/01/2022
Academic Unit: Epidemiology; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984268759302771

Metrics

16 Record Views

15 Times Cited - Web of Science