The site of the bite: Leishmania interaction with macrophages, neutrophils and the extracellular matrix in the dermis.

Leishmania spp., the causative agents of leishmaniasis, are intracellular parasites, transmitted to humans via the bite of their sand fly vectors. Once inoculated, the promastigotes are exposed to the dermis, which is composed of extracellular matrix (ECM), growth factors and its resident cells.