A Study on Leishmaniasis: Causes of Skin Ulcers and Treatment Using Medicinal Plants

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by sand fly bites. It is endemic in Iraq and some neighbouring countries. There are two types of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iraq that cause infection; L. major and L. tropica. Studies have shown that the incidence of the disease appears in the period between November and February. In his book Summary of Experiences, Al-Razi (1500) was the first one to refer to the presence of the disease in Iraq. He identifies it as a common disease in Baghdad, hence the name Baghdad boil (Pringle, 1957).