leishmanial

Main Entry: leish·man·ia
Pronunciation: lEsh-'man-E-&, -'mAn-
Function: noun
1 capitalized : a genus of kinetoplastidflagellate protozoans of the family Trypanosomatidae that are parasitic in the tissues of vertebrates, are transmitted by sand flies (genera Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia), occurparasitically as a minute ovoid or spherical nonflagellated body with a definite kinetoplast and usually an intracellular axoneme, and include one (L. donovani) causing kala-azar and another(L. tropica) causing oriental sore
2 : any protozoan of the genus Leishmania; broadly : any protozoan of the family Trypanosomatidae having thetypical intracellular form of a leishmania —leish·man·ial /-E-&l/ adjective

Leishmania Leish·man·i·a (lēsh-mān'ē-ə, -mā'nē-ə)
n.
A genus of flagellate protozoa, several species of which cause leishmanisis; all species are indistinguishable morphologically but may be separated by their serological reactions, by their geographic distribution, by their developmental patterns in their sandfly hosts, and by their clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis.