IntroductionFew people in the United States have come into contact with a disease called leishmaniasis; however, in southern Europe and tropical regions of the world, this disease is a force to be reckoned with. Leishmania spp., also known as cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis, is a bacteria causing parasitic disease either on the surface of the skin or inside the body in internal organs. An experiment was conducted to determine whether leishmaniasis should be included in CDC clinical category C for the AIDS definition.BackgroundLeishmania spp. belongs to the kingdom of archaebacteria and eubacteria. It is a bacteria causing parasitic disease found in tropical, subtropical and southern Europe and rarely found in the United States (Parasites - Leishmaniasis). It is prokaryotic and unicellular. Its energy source comes from the synthesis and consumption of its own energy from sunlight, inorganic and organic compounds, as well as autotrophs and heterotrophs. It is asexual and can use binary fission to reproduce. Since it is a parasite, it attacks other organisms and also uses chemical defense. Bacteria can live and survive in harsh environments with or without oxygen. There is a cell wall present. Leishmaniasis is caused by infection with Leishmania parasites, which are spread through the bite of infected sandflies (Parasites - Leishmaniasis). The most common forms are cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis. The cutaneous causes skin lesions while the visceral affects several internal organs, including the spleen, liver and bone marrow (Parasites - Leishmaniasis). The skin infection can sometimes be silent, without any symptoms or signs. People who develop clinical evidence... middle of article ...... ate stages of the HIV virus, as proven by the case study and results. Visceral leishmaniasis in the HIV-infected population should be included in the CDC clinical category of the CDC for the definition of AIDS.Works CitedParasites - Leishmaniasis. (January 10, 2013). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/leishmaniasis/Pasquau, F., Ena, J., Sanchez, R., Cuadrado, J., & Amador, C. (2005). Leishmaniasis as an opportunistic infection in HIV-infected patients: determinants of relapse and mortality in a collaborative study of 228 episodes in a Mediterranean region. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 24(6), 411-418. Accessed February 5, 2014, from http://search.proquest.com.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/biologicalsciences/docview/849110844/E9FD10EC88D74913PQ/4?accountid=13965