Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by parasites that belong to the genus Leishmania (closely related to trypanosomes) and is transmitted by the bite of certain species of sand fly (Phlebotomus and Lutzomia). Synonyms for leishmaniasis include kala azar, black fever, sandfly disease and dum-dum fever and in Latin America also espundia and chiclero's disease.

Leishmaniasis can be transmitted in many tropical and sub-tropical countries, although the preponderance of cases (more than 90 percent of the world's cases) occur in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal and Sudan.

The parasites invade macrophages of skin, liver, spleen and bone marrow.The symptoms of leishmaniasis are skin sores, fever, damage to the spleen and liver, and anaemia.

First line drugs are based on antimony: antimoniate de méglumine (Glucantime) and sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam). Second line drugs are pentamidine and amphotericin B and its different formulations. Most recent drugs introduced are miltefosin (Impavido) and paromomycin.