Species name Disease: common name(?) Number of cases worldwide: Picture 1 Disease: common name(?) Number of cases worldwide: 1 million per year Number of deaths worldwide: 200,000 per year Life-cycle and transmission: Something interesting about the disease Picture 2 On going research: Some stuff about understanding genetics, biochemistry and vaccines, etc…. The British Society for Parasitology: Members of the BSP are helping research into this disease by…. For more info contact us at …..

Plasmodium falciparum Disease: Malaria Number of cases worldwide: 250 million per year Number of deaths worldwide: 1-2 million per year Life-cycle and transmission: The On going research: Some stuff about understanding genetics, biochemistry and vaccines, etc…. The British Society for Parasitology: Members of the BSP are helping research into this disease by…. For more info contact us at …..

Leishmania Disease: Kala-azar Number of cases worldwide: 12 million per year Number of deaths worldwide: 750,000 per year (est.) Life-cycle and transmission: The Leishmania parasite is spread through the bite from a sand-fly. There are two main forms of the infection – cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis. Cutaneous infection causes disfiguring lesions on the skin at the site of the sandfly bite whereas in visceral leishmaniasis the parasite establishes infection in the liver causing swelling, loss of function and ultimately death. Importantly, by growing inside white blood cells, the parasite suppresses the immune response and allows it to establish a long-lived infection. In addition to infecting humans, Leishmania can infect other animals. Indeed, up to 40% of dogs in Mediterranean areas test positive for infection. Ongoing research: Scientists are studying how Leishmania parasites interact with the immune system and cause disease in an attempt to develop new vaccines and medicines. By understanding how parasites become resistant to current drugs, they hope to design better therapies to treat infection. And by understanding how Leishmania suppresses the immune system, novel approaches to vaccination are being developed. The British Society for Parasitology: The BSP arranges regular conferences where members involved in the cutting-edge research into new cures for leishmaniasis meet to discuss their work. For more information visit ww.bsp.uk.net or contact info@bsp.uk.net