Does previous exposure to Leishmania major affect the outcome of infection Leishmania infantum

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by a single-celled parasite which is spread by the bite of the sandfly in many tropical and subtropical countries throughout the world. Cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major is characterized by an open sore appearing at the bite-site, which will eventually self-heal. In visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum, the parasites travel to internal organs, and if the infection is left untreated, it can be fatal. These two species of Leishmania often overlap in geographic location making co-infections possible. There is a large body of scholarly work on the immune response to Leishmania infection. While the immune response to Leishmania has been investigated in great detail, few studies have examined whether exposure to one species of Leishmania has any protective, or deleterious effects when a person is later exposed to a different species of Leishmania. My research aims to further investigate the immune response to co-infection of Leishmania major and Leishmania infantum