The main way people get infected with Leishmania is through the bite of an infected female phlebotomine sand fly. The female sand fly can transmit the parasite seven to ten days to a new host after feeding on an infected host. We read in an article on the CDC website that these flies are very small, about one-third the size of an average mosquito. Like mosquitoes the sand fly is most active in the evening around dusk. You can also get Leishmania through blood transfusions, contaminated needles and a pregnant woman can give it to her baby through her blood.
Transmission
The main way people get infected with Leishmania is through the bite of an infected female phlebotomine sand fly. The female sand fly can transmit the parasite seven to ten days to a new host after feeding on an infected host. We read in an article on the CDC website that these flies are very small, about one-third the size of an average mosquito. Like mosquitoes the sand fly is most active in the evening around dusk. You can also get Leishmania through blood transfusions, contaminated needles and a pregnant woman can give it to her baby through her blood.