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Study uncovers cause of aggressive leishmaniasis strain

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  • Study uncovers cause of aggressive leishmaniasis strain

    Source: https://www.scidev.net/global/health...is-strain.html


    16/12/19
    Study uncovers cause of aggressive leishmaniasis strain

    Speed read

    Scientists discover cause of aggressive form of leishmaniasis disease
    Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis disfigures the face and can be fatal
    Researchers say findings will assist in development of new drugs

    By: Fab?ola Ortiz

    After six years of research, Brazilian scientists have discovered that the presence of the Leishmania RNA virus in disease-carrying parasites leads to more aggressive forms of leishmaniasis, a discovery they say opens the way to new treatments.

    Considered a neglected disease, leishmaniasis is endemic in 98 countries and causes 70,000 deaths a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The disease comes in three forms: visceral (the most severe form), cutaneous (the most common), and mucocutaneous.

    Biologist Dario Zamboni, of the University of S?o Paulo's Ribeir?o Preto Medical School, said: “Our study demonstrates that the presence of the virus increases by at least three times the possibility of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, which destroys and disfigures a patient’s face.”...
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