leishmaniasis

American  

[leesh-muh-nahy-uh-sis, lahysh-] / ˌliʃ məˈnaɪ ə sɪs, ˌlaɪʃ- /

Also leishmaniosis

noun

Pathology.

1. any infection caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania.

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leishmaniasis British  

/ -ˌmæn-, ˌliːʃməˈnaɪəsɪs, liːʃˌmeɪnɪˈəʊsɪs /

noun

1. any disease, such as kala-azar, caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania

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leishmaniasis Scientific  

/ lēsh′mə-nī′ə-sĭs /

1. An infection or disease caused by any of the flagellate protozoans of the genus Leishmania, transmitted to humans and animals by bloodsucking sand flies and characterized by skin ulcerations or an acute illness marked by fever, anemia, and enlargement of the liver and spleen.

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Etymology

Origin of leishmaniasis

First recorded in 1910–15; leishman(ia) + -iasis

Example Sentences

Cases of kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, have spiked in Kenya, from 1,575 in 2024 to 3,577 in 2025, according to the health ministry.

From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026

If left untreated, visceral leishmaniasis, also known as black fever, is almost always fatal.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

The most serious form of the disease, known as visceral leishmaniasis, is invariably fatal within 2-years if untreated.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2024

In its effort to hunt for new treatments for leishmaniasis, the program has partnered with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, or DNDi, a nonprofit research and development organization based in Geneva.

From New York Times • Dec. 19, 2023

Guinea pigs may have contributed a trypanosome infection like Chagas’ disease or leishmaniasis to our catalog of woes, but that’s uncertain.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond