Leishmania

(lēsh-mā′nē-ă )

To hear audio pronunciation of this topic, purchase a subscription or log in.

A genus of parasitic, flagellated protozoa that cause a variety of infectious diseases in humans. These tropical organisms are usually transmitted to people by the bite of the female sandflies, although they may occasionally be transferred from person-to-person by transfusion.

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.