Tropical Flesh-Eating Parasite Spreading in the U.S. via Sand Flies

The flesh-eating parasite known as Leishmania mexicana, once thought to be a danger primarily for travelers, is now spreading locally through sand flies native to the southern United States, according to a new analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The parasite causes skin sores that can lead to long-term scarring, and there is "low certainty" about the effectiveness of available treatments. Leishmaniasis, caused by the parasite, is now considered endemic in Texas and some southern border states. The discovery raises concerns about the spread of a deadlier cousin, Leishmania infantum, which causes a more severe form of the disease called visceral leishmaniasis.