The illness is predominantly found in tropical and subtropical zones, but is spreading to Spain, southern France, and Italy, reaching 88 countries world wide. Three hundred and fifty million people are currently living in endangered areas. About two million people are newly infected every year, of whom about 500.000 suffer from visceral leishmaniasis - a particularly serious, and without treatment, always fatal form of the disease. The number of those affected is increasing. The disease has no geographical limit like malaria does and in the temperate zones of southern Europe leishmaniasis is on the rise.
New reports look into the increasing expansion of leishmaniasis.
Many people in Spain, for example, are infected with leishmania donovani. The disease remains latent and without symptoms. The pathogens live in the marrow and are kept under control by the immune system. However, if the immune system is weakend, for example by infection with the AIDS virus HIV, the leishmaniasis parasites reproduce in an explosive way. The pathogens enter the blood system and attack the liver, spleen and skin, which without treatment results in death.