Leishmaniosis Flashcards
What is the vector of Leishmania and what genera are present in the old and new world?
Sandflies
Old World = Phlebotomus
New World = Lutzomyia
What is meant by “digenetic” life cycle?
Two stages - extracellular phase in the sandfly gut and intracellular phase in the mammalian host.
Describe the lifecycle of Leishmania
Promastigote enters the skin and then bloodstream via a sandfly bite. It enters macrophages where it becomes an amastigote. Following this amastigotes can burst out of the macrophage and infect other macrophages or disseminate to internal organs. Amastigotes can also be taken up by a sandfly.
What other routes of transmission are there? (include those which have been proven and those which haven’t been proven)
PROVEN Veneral Vertical Blood products/transmission Syringe usage
UNPROVEN
Direct contact
Ticks and fleas
In what tissues does the parasite replicate?
Macrophages
What is the outcome of disease determined by?
This is regulated by the host immunoinflammatory response.
How is the parasite killed?
TH1 biased immune response allowing production of iNOS and therefore NO for intracellular killing of the amastigotes.
A TH2 response may modulate inflammatory pathology but leaves the host more prone to infection from Leishmania
How can Leishmania evade the immune response?
Decrease Ag presentation
Reduce production of inflammatory cytokines
Increase production of immunosuppressive cytokines.
What needs to be taken into account when translating mice models to othermammals disease?
Mice have a very clear distinction between TH1 and TH2 responsed whereas other animals dont.
What are the types of severity in human infections and what factors contribute to the type that manifests?
Subclinical
Self-limiting disease
Non self-limiting (severe) disease
Factors:
Parasite diversity - infectivity, pathogenicity, virulence
Host factors - immunoresponses
What are the 3 main forms of the disease?
Visceral
Mucocutaneous
Cutaneous
What is the main species of Leishmania in Europe?
L. infantum
What is the epidemiology of the disease?
Dogs are the main reservoir and this can cycle between dogs and humans and dogs and sylvatic hosts.
Is there a group of people/animals that are most at risk to Leishmania?
Immunosuppressed individuals
What are the risk factors for human infection?
Increased prevalence in the dog population
Ownership of an infected dog (especially for transmission to children)
Poor socio-economic conditions (more likely to be close to dogs)
Dog density
What is the relationship between the type of immune response and the form of disease that develops?
Cellular –> subclinical or cutaneous
Humoral –> visceral
How have better HIV drugs impacted on Leishmania infections?
Reduced infection rate post HIV drugs.
How can you test for Leishmania infection?
By performing a skin test similar to that used for TB.
How else has the infection rate been reduced?
Filtration of donated blood and preventing donation from people from endemic areas.