Dear Colleagues,

Today, an estimated 700,000 to 1 million new cases of Leishmaniasis still occur annually, with a consequent significant disease burden. More than 100 years after the identification of the etiologic agent, protozoan Leishmania parasites (around 20 species associated with human disease to date), the chemotherapy agents available in the clinic settings are limited and “outdated”, and there is still no vaccine approved for human use. This is due to socio-geographic reasons—Leishmaniasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease, disproportionally affecting low-income populations—but not only. We still do not understand completely the determinants of parasite transmission and disease, probably due to the epidemiological complexity recognized in the context of Vector-Borne diseases. There is, consequently, the need, not only to better understand the individual parasite-vector, vector-host, and host-parasite interfaces in Leishmaniasis, but also to integrate them—looking at them as a whole.

In line with this, the aim of this Special Issue is to compile studies that describe new advances in the field of Leishmaniasis, either focusing individually on the Leishmania-sand fly or Leishmania-host interfaces (in line with the scope of Microorganisms), or on the integration of the vector-host-pathogen triad. Original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Overall, topics include, but are not limited to:

• Determinants of vector competence;
• The development of Leishmania parasites in the sandfly midgut;
• The characteristics of the infectious inoculum at the time of transmission;
• Parasite tissue tropism in the host;
• Determinants of infection in asymptomatic versus disease conditions;
• Developments in in vitro and animal models of Leishmaniasis;
• New anti-Leishmania drug targets;

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Pedro Cecílio
Dr. Ana Victoria Ibarra-Meneses
Dr. Eva Iniguez
Guest Editors

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• Leishmaniasis
• Leishmania
• sand flies
• parasite development
• parasite transmission
• parasite tropism
• asymptomatic infection
• determinants of infection/pathogenicity