Clinical disease in humans:

In immunocompetent adults, the leishmaniasis is usually (90%) self-limiting, but in children and immunocompromised adults, the disease can be devastating. Hence, visceral leishmaniasis has risen in importance since the recognition of AIDS.

• In children and immunocompromised patients, the disease presents with:
  • fever
  • hepatosplenomegaly
  • lymphadenopathy
  • thrombocytopenia
  • progressive emaciation
    • If left untreated, fulminant visceral leishmaniasis is fatal.
• Persons with AIDS may actually replicate enough of the organism to serve as a reservoir for human-sandfly-human transmission.

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