Transmission+-+Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is spread through the small bites of the //Phlebotomus// genus of sand fly in Africa, Asia, and Europe. In the western hemisphere the parasite is spread through the //Lutzomyia// genus of sand fly. Transmission of Leishmaniasis is both zoonotic (animal - sandfly - human) and anthroponotic (human - sandfly - human). The trouble with sand flies is that are very small, typically 1/3 the size of a regular mosquito, they are dead silent when the fly, and their bites are absolutely painless. They are usually most active from dusk to dawn.

Leishmaniasis can also be transmitted by blood transfusion or shared needle use, however this is more common among the visceral form of the parasite.