US under threat of flesh-eating disease from Syrian refugees

The United States could also be infected with the flesh-eating disease that has already taken Syria in its throes.

The Breitbart Jerusalem reports that there is a risk that Middle Eastern refugees entering the U S could be infected with the flesh-eating disease. It said that health agencies had confirmed that Syrian refugees have transported Leishmaniasis to Lebanon and Turkey, where it has been difficult to manage and treat.

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites and is spread almost entirely by sandflies, including those present in the US. The infection can go without showing any symptoms for weeks, months or even years. In addition, an asymptomatic patient most likely doesn’t know that he or she is a carrier.

Earlier in December 2015, the Mirror reports that the ISIS was causing the spread of Leishmaniasis by “slaughtering innocent people and dumping their bodies in the street.”

Leishmaniasis has been spreading fast in Syria since the collapse of its health system in 2011. By 2012, Syria had 52,982 documented cases of the disease.

Meanwhile, Albawaba.com says that contrary to reports, Syrian refugees won't cause a 'flesh-eating' disease to spread across the West. Leishmaniasis is not new and its cases are reported throughout the year. It is caused by the Leishmania parasite, which enters the blood and causes horrible sores to open on the skin.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are several different forms of leishmaniasis in people. The most common forms are cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis, which affects several internal organs (usually spleen, liver and bone marrow).

CDC has established protocols for medical screening of refugees entering the US but these do not include testing for Leishmaniasis.

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