LEISHMANIOSE: UMA BREVE REVISÃO

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.8421625120610

• Palavras-chave: Leishmaniose, Leishmania spp., epidemiologia, diagnóstico, tratamento.

• Keywords: Leishmaniasis, Leishmania spp., epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment.

• Abstract: Leishmaniases are a group of diseases described since ancient times and classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a neglected tropical disease. Transmission occurs by sand flies and the etiological agent are protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Leishmaniases can be divided into visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL). According to the WHO, 99 countries or territories are endemic for leishmaniases, still representing a public health problem in underdeveloped countries. Parasitological diagnosis is carried out by identifying parasitic forms in biological samples, using Giemsa or Leishman stain, where it is possible to visualize macrophages infected with the amastigote forms under a light microscope. Moreover, other methods, such as molecular and immunological tests, can assist in diagnosis. The treatment of leishmaniases is challenging, and there are currently no vaccines or prophylactic drugs. A reduced number of drugs are used, including pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin B deoxycholate, lipid formulations of amphotericin B, miltefosine, and paromomycin, all of which present disadvantages in terms of toxicity, efficacy, cost, or treatment regimen. Given the limited number of drugs available and their limitations, there is a need for more significant investment and studies to discover new drugs that contribute to controlling the disease.