Leishmania tropica is a protozoan parasite that causes cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans. The spelling of the word "Leishmania" is pronounced as /ˌleɪʃˈmeɪniə/, with the stress on the second syllable. The "schwa" sound is used for the second and fifth vowels, while the "a" sound represents the final syllable. Meanwhile, "tropica" is pronounced as /trɒpɪkə/, with the stress on the first syllable. The "o" in the final syllable is silent, but the "i" represents the short "i" sound. Knowing the correct spelling of this word is essential for those who study and treat this disease.
Leishmania tropica is a parasitic protozoan that belongs to the genus Leishmania, which is responsible for causing different forms of leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease. Leishmania tropica is primarily found in arid regions of the world such as North Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia.
The life cycle of Leishmania tropica involves two developmental stages: the promastigote stage and the amastigote stage. During the promastigote stage, Leishmania tropica resides inside the sand fly vector's midgut, proliferating and developing into infective forms. When an infected sand fly bites a human or other mammal, it injects the infective stage promastigotes into the skin.
Within the human host, the promastigotes are phagocytosed by macrophages, where they transform into the amastigote stage. These intracellular amastigotes multiply within the macrophages and cause the clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis. In the case of Leishmania tropica, the disease mainly presents as cutaneous leishmaniasis, characterized by skin lesions, ulcers, and sometimes lymphadenopathy.
Transmission of Leishmania tropica usually occurs during the evening or night when sand flies are active. Risk factors for infection with Leishmania tropica include living or traveling to endemic regions, poor housing conditions, and occupational or recreational activities that increase exposure to sand fly bites.
Control measures for Leishmania tropica include vector control through the use of insecticides, personal protective measures to prevent sand fly bites, and managing and treating infected individuals to prevent further transmission.
• L. furunculosa, Helcosoma tropicum, a species morphologically very similar to L. donovani, the cause of oriental sore.
• Americana, a variety with Flattened Nucleus, Found In Cases of espundia.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "Leishmania" is derived from the name of British army physician William Boog Leishman, who first described the parasite in 1903. Leishman was studying this particular type of parasite, which causes a disease known as leishmaniasis.
The term "tropica" refers to the tropical regions where this particular species of Leishmania is commonly found. It signifies that this specific species of Leishmania is typically found in tropical areas, such as parts of Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.