There are numerous diseases that affect human beings which are transmitted by non human agents. Such diseases are referred to as zoonotic disease. Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease that is caused by a protozoon of the genus Leishmania which is transmitted by sand fly through bites. In most cases, the female phlebotomine sand flies are the agent of transmission of the disease. The parasite in some cases could come from humans or animals (Croft 95).
The fly during feeding injects the metacyclic promastigotes which is one of the infective stages of the Leishmania parasite into the human host. Once inside the human host, the promastigotes transform into amastigotes as they are phagocytosed by macrophages. These amastigotes multiply and rapidly infect the involved tissues around the bite wound. These amastigotes are taken in by sand flies during feeding and can then be transferred to another host. Once in the fly’s gut, these amastigotes differentiate into promastigotes. Here, the parasites are known to multiply and transform into metacyclic promastigotes and they later move to the proboscis ready to be expelled from the fly during feeding.
In many instances, affected are people living in the tropical and subtropical regions. This disease usually affect people living in Central and South America. Sand flies are prone mainly in the tropical rain forest and the Amazon in south and Central America. This causes a large number of cases of Leishmaniasis of different types experienced in these regions.
In preventing leishmaniasis, protecting the individuals from sand fly bites offers immediate and ultimate prevention from leishmaniasis (Magill, 67). This can be done by using insecticide treated nets around bed during the night. Such nets do not only shield the individuals from the flies but also repel them from getting near the bed. The other strategy that can be used in prevention of the disease is netting the windows. This ensures that the flies do not find their way into the house. Also, use of insect repellant creams is also an important strategy that might be considered in an attempt to prevent people from leishmaniasis. On the top of this, it will also be considered as important to wear protective clothing that will protect an individual from the sand fly bites.
It is important to understand that human beings as a secondly host for the leishmania parasites play a role in the propagation of the life cycle of the parasite. In this regard, if eliminating the disease is a concern, human beings can gap the cycle by delimiting their contact with the sand flies. This in essence will ensure that the infective stage of the parasite lacks an immediate host and therefore remains within the sand fly. As such, this will greatly reduce the instances of the infection but not eliminating it completely. Human beings should be educated regarding the importance of avoidance of the sand fly bites, especially in the very prone regions around the tropics and subtropics.
In conclusion, it is paramount that the prevention of zoonotic diseases should be emphasized because apparently they are significant contributors to many deaths in the very prone areas. It is also important to keep in mind that leishmaniasis has no vaccine, prevention is fully based on human practices and therefore the strategies to avoid contact with the sand flies should be observed.
Works Cited
Croft, Simon. “Leishmaniasis”. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Ed. Lee Goldman. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. Print.
Magill, A J. “Leishmania species”. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Ed. G. L. Mandell, J. E. Bennett, R. Dolin. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. 2009. Print.