Colombia: Health officials warn of possible Leishmaniasis outbreak

Colombian authorities warned of a potential skin disease outbreak Thursday after seven cases of Leishmaniasis were reported in the southcentral city of Neiva. The Colombian Secretary of Health, Mauricio Santa Maria said that there have been 36 registeredcases throughout the country in 2012 of the the skin disease known as Leishmaniasis, which is caused by protozoan parasites and transmitted by sandfly bites. The disease’s symptoms include skin sores and in some cases fever, anemia and damage to the liver and spleen . Santa Maria noted that seven cases were concentrated in Neiva, a city located in the southern department of Huila. Read article