Leishmania, 2002 World Class Parasites Series, Vol. 4

Leishmania parasites cause a diverse group of diseases endemic to many tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This volume seeks to bring together recent research on cell and molecular biology of Leishmania with chapters on the host response to infection, the current epidemiology of leishmaniasis, explanations of the many different species, vector control, and strategies for vaccine development and drug treatment.
Leishmania, volume four of World Class Parasites, is written for researchers, students and scholars who enjoy reading research that has a major impact on human health, or agricultural productivity, and against which we have no satisfactory defense. It is intended to supplement more formal texts that cover taxonomy, life cycles, morphology, vector distribution, symptoms and treatment. It integrates vector, pathogen and host biology and celebrates the diversity of approach that comprises modern parasitological research.

Current Status of Epidemiology of Leishmaniases.- New World Leishmaniasis: The Ecology of Leishmaniasis and the Diversity of Leishmanial Species in Central and South America.- Phlebotomine Sand Flies: Biology and Control.- Canine Reservoirs and Leishmaniasis: Epidemiology and Disease.- The Journey of Leishmania Parasites within the Digestive Tract of Phlebotomine Sand Flies.- Membrane Transport and Metabolism in Leishmania Parasites.- The Interaction of Leishmania SPP. with Phagocytic Receptors on Macrophages: The Role of Serum Opsonins.- Leishmania Infection and Macrophage Function.- Clinical and Laboratory Aspects of Leishmania Chemotherapy in the Era of Drug Resistance.- The Immunology of Visceral Leishmaniasis: Current Status.- The Immunology of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Experimental Infections and Human Disease.- Anti-Leishmania Vaccine.