CDC experts say a parasitic skin infection may be endemic in Texas – By Renee Yan (Chron) / Oct 21, 2023
New research suggests that leishmaniasis, a disease known to cause skin lesions and leave scar, may be spread locally in Texas and other southern states.
A new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that a parasitic skin disease typically spread through the bite of sand flies may be more common in Texas than previously thought, according to CBS News’ Alexander Tin.
Leishmaniasis—caused by Leishmania protozoa—is an infection that can cause long-lasting skin lesions that appear weeks or even months after exposure. Many of these cases found in the U.S. generally patients who have traveled abroad to certain tropical regions in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Central America, per the CDC. But according to new data presented at the annual American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference on Thursday, the disease may be gaining a greater foothold in Texas, as well as other southern states.
Scientists studied 1,222 leishmaniasis cases from 2005 to 2019, reported NBC News’ Aria Bendix, and although only 86 tissue samples collected were from people who had no international travel history, epidemiologists also detected a genetically unique strain of the Leishmania parasite that indicates a local spread.
