Abstract

One of the most neglected infectious diseases of the developing world, second only to malaria in disease burden, is leishmaniasis. Collectively affecting 12 million people worldwide and caused by over 20 different species of intracellular parasites known as Leishmania, these organisms inhabit every continent except for Antarctica, and are transmitted by the bite of female sand flies. Their unusual genetics have baffled scientists for decades, but next-generation sequencing promises to be a formidable tool to tackle evolution of drug resistance to the few treatment options we have available, and to better understand how virulence traits responsible for severe disease are passed on from generation to generation.