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North Texas Leishmaniasis Outbreak Identified by Dermatologists

September 17, 2007 at 8:14 PM General Health News

Nine North Texas cases of an infectious skin disease common in South America, Mexico and in the Middle East, where it is sometimes referred to as a “Baghdad boil” has been identified by a team of dermatologists and dermatopathologists at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

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Numerous cases of the disease, called leishmaniasis, have been reported in troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. But for the first time, cases of this dangerous infection are appearing in North Texas in patients who have not traveled to endemic areas.

The infection causes nonhealing sores that can be the size of a half-dollar or larger and that look like boils. These sores usually last for 6 to 12 months and because they are often mistaken for a staph infection, patients may have been given multiple courses of standard antibiotics without success.

The disease is caused by a single-celled parasite called Leishmania, and special cultures must be done in order to confirm the diagnosis of leishmaniasis.

The identified cases were from Waxahachie, Hillsboro and Glenn Heights, all areas south of Dallas; Tom Bean, Anna, Savoy and Nevada, all north of Dallas; and North Richland Hills.

North Texas doctors must have a high index of suspicion and understand that this organism must now be considered endemic in this area, said Dr. Kent Aftergut, a clinical instructor of dermatology at UT Southwestern and in private practice at Methodist Charlton Medical Center.

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09/17/2007

While the New World Cutaneous Leishmaniasis species such as Mexicana normally do not visceralize and attack the bones and organs, it is still a blood borne parasite. This parasite can take up to twenty years to present symptoms in an otherwise healthy person. The parasite has been proven to live in stored blood for thirty days. There is a ban on blood donations from persons traveling to Iraq and Afghanistan for this reason. Leishmaniasis can be transmitted sexually, congenitally, and by blood transfusion or the sharing of needles. There is NO sterile cure and treatment can be very toxic. This parasite should be taken very seriously. www.iraqinfections.org

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North Texas Leishmaniasis Outbreak Identified by Dermatologists

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