Work

A case of cutaneous leishmaniasis by a needlestick injury: an occupational infection or “experimental infection”?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Leishmaniasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease caused by unicellular parasitic kinetoplastids of the genus Leishmania spp., with 20 species associated with human infections. This case report describes an accidental inoculation of Leishmania major suffered by a graduate student in a research and education institution laboratory. Eight months after the occupational accident, the student developed an erythematous, painless papule at the needlestick injury site. Within a week, the lesion worsened, showing ulceration and an increase in size. The diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis was based on clinical observations and confirmed by histopathological analysis, immunohistochemistry, and parasite culture. Following diagnosis, the patient was referred for treatment with a dosage of 81 mg SbV/kg of Glucantime, administered slowly via intravenous infusion diluted in 100 ml of 5 % glucose saline solution, every 24 h for 20 consecutive days. Furthermore, this case report emphasises the critical need for periodic training for research professionals to ensure their knowledge of protocols guiding prevention and response to occupational infections.

Source: Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease

DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2025.116863

Authors: Fabrício Marcus Silva Oliveira, Jacqueline Araujo Fiuza, Soraya T Gaze

Institutions: George Washington University, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz

Language: English

Topic: Research on Leishmaniasis Studies

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,290