Leishmania sp. (PCR)

Bone marrow punctate or lymph node punctate

0.2 - 0.5 cm3 Bipsie (at the edge of the wound) in physiol. NaCl, 1m bone marrow aspirate with EDTA

Leishmania is a parasitic protozoan which causes the disease leishmaniasis. The parasite is spread to vertebrates like canids, rodents or humans by infected sandflies, and occurs most frequently in the tropics and sub-tropics of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and southern Europe.

Leishmaniasis has a wide array of clinical manifestations and can present in a cutaneous/mucocutaneous or visceral form.
The cutaneous/mucocutaneous form presents with ulcers of skin and the mucous membranes of mouth and nose, which mostly heal on their own, leaving distinct scars.
Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar ('black fever') manifests after an incubation period of 2-6 months when the parasite infects bone marrow, spleen, liver and lymph nodes. Symptoms like fever, general health deterioration and anaemia occur, and usually the disease leads to death within a few months if not treated.