- "Leishmaniasis
is transmitted by the bite of female phlebotomine
sandflies.
- The sandflies become
infected during blood meals on an infected host
when they ingest macrophages infected with
amastigotes.
- In the sandfly, the
parasites differentiate into
promastigotes that multiply and
mature.
- A minimum of 7 days are
required before infective promastigotes
are present
- The promastigotes block
the insect's pharynx and hypostome, and
are regurgitated by the sandfly during a
subsequent blood meal.
- Promastigotes that reach
the puncture wound and are phagocytized
by macrophages transform into amastigotes
and multiply, thus closing the life
cycle.
- Multiplication is by
binary fission, and no sexual stage has
been identified."
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