I will shortly be joining one of my Sons who is living on the beach on the East coast of Mexico, south of Veracruz. He got Leishmaniasis, which is a parasitic disease carried by sand flies, and is under treatment.

I know from the internet that it can not only cause really ugly skin lesions, but can can attack internal organs, and be fatal. I understand it is endemic to South and Central America, but I can't find information about areas that are particularly dangerous. I'm going to spend a month or so with my boy anyway, but I am concerned about contracting the disease.

Does any one know where to find statistics on areas that are hot spots, or what the incidence is in coastal Mexico? I know there is no vaccine for it, yet, but does anyone know if there are preventative measures to take before exposure?

Thanks,

Well, I have been on line about this disease, and I think my concern is not trivial. The simplest reference I found was on Wikipedia:
http://tinyurl.com/3ckajm and the CDC site. They both say that there are some 400,000 new cases every year, and about 60,000 deaths.

It is hard to determine how much a hazard South and Central America represents to the tourist, as 80% to 90% of the cases are in India and Africa. Some troubling facts were that Sand Flies make no sound when they fly, so you don't know when to slap the little critters, and they are so small that they can go right through the usual mosquito net.

Not to alarm all you folks visiting the beaches and jungles, but Hey, it is best to be informed. If you come down with a nasty open sore a few weeks or months after a visit to Latin America, see your Doctor!

I can't give you any additional info, but friends of ours who own a home in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica caught this. They had to do IV treatments for 30 days. From the info I got from them, use plenty of bug spray, 3X per day. Net have to be finer mesh.

Good luck and be careful.

MY

Sorry to hear about your friend's bout with this nasty infection. The injection route is the one my son is taking, but my online research turned up a new treatment that is in pill form, not injections. It is called Miltefosine (Impavido is the trade name). Tests in India show cure rates of +95%, with few side effects. I wanted to get some from my doctor before I went down, but it has not been approved in the States, as yet.

Perhaps your friends should look into this to see if it is available in Costa Rica.

Our friends discovered the illness after they got back to N. Calif. The whole family got it, including their 5 year old. Ick!! They said they wouldn't wish it on anybody.!!

MY