Parasitic disease in freed hostages is more common in Americans

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Two of the American hostages rescued from the jungles of Colombia have the disease leishmaniasis, according to U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield. Leishmaniasis is an illness American dermatologists are becoming more familiar with. It used to be considered rare in this country, except for a few cases occurring in the south part of Texas. But several doctors now say the disease is cropping up among troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and among travelers.

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread by the bite of an infected sand fly. The most common form is called cutaneous. It causes a skin lesion that soldiers have taken to calling ‘Baghdad boil.’ Another form of the disease, called visceral, infects the organs, can be fatal if left untreated and is less common. Information on the disease can be found at this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

It’s important for anyone traveling out of the country to know about the disease and its symptoms. Doctors in this country may not necessarily look for it, and some people report having a hard time getting a correct diagnosis. See this story in the Boston Globe.

-- Shari Roan