Malaria and leishmaniasis: Updates on co-infection

Abstract

Malaria and leishmaniasis are endemic parasitic diseases in tropical and subtropical countries. Although the overlap of these diseases in the same host is frequently described, co-infection remains a neglected issue in the medical and scientific community. The complex relationship of concomitant infections with Plasmodium spp. and Leishmania spp. is highlighted in studies of natural and experimental co-infections, showing how this “dual” infection can exacerbate or suppress an effective immune response to these protozoa. Thus, a Plasmodium infection preceding or following Leishmania infection can impact the clinical course, accurate diagnosis, and management of leishmaniasis, and vice versa. The concept that in nature we are affected by concomitant infections reinforces the need to address the theme and ensure its due importance. In this review we explore and describe the studies available in the literature on Plasmodium spp. and Leishmania spp. co-infection, the scenarios, and the factors that may influence the course of these diseases.

Visceral leishmaniasis in Kosovo: A case of misdiagnosis and diagnostic challenges

“…A variety of infections coexist with leishmaniasis, such as HIV, leprosy, tuberculosis, schistosomiasis, Covid-19, etc., and the prevalence is different in different parts of the world. The impacts of coinfections are observed in immunopathogenesis, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, and therapeutic response [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] .…”

Identification and management of co-infections in people with malaria

“…Helminths (eg, hookworm, roundworm, Schistosoma ) are widely distributed and also common co-infections in many malaria endemic regions, with a pooled prevalence of 17.7% (95% CI 12.7% to 23.2%) in a recent systematic review 21. Many countries where malaria is endemic are also endemic for systemic parasitic diseases, with clinical features overlapping those of malaria (eg, visceral leishmaniasis, human African trypanosomiasis), and co-infections are well documented in populations with a high overlapping incidence 2223…”

“…Data on the impact of malaria and co-infections with Leishmania or Trypanosoma on severity of illness and survival are inconclusive 2223. Helminths transmitted in soil may contribute to the severity of anaemia associated with malaria 21…”

How many labels do I need? Self-supervised learning strategies for multiple blood parasites classification in microscopy images

“…The majority of methods exhibit this targeted approach, particularly in the context of malaria [3]- [6], while few methods address diseases like Chagas or leishmania [7]- [9], and none for filariasis. The absence of a universal method to detect any blood parasite in a given sample is a significant limitation, particularly in areas with coinfection [10], [11].…”