Equine Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is caused by the obligate intracellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania, transmitted mostly by sandflies. There are more than 30 different species of Leishmania that vary by region, host, and associated disease syndrome.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis has been documented in equids around the world and is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres (including South America, western and central Europe, and the Middle East). While equine leishmaniasis is documented in Puerto Rico, it is rarely seen in the continental United States. Cases in the U.S. have generally been seen in horses with international travel or recently imported from endemic areas. However, domestically acquired cases have occasionally been observed, with the first reported case in 2011 in a Morgan horse mare in Florida.