The parasitic disease leishmaniasis is caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania which are transmitted by
sand fly vectors of the genus Phlebotomus in the Old World and Lutzomyia in the New World. Transmission can
either be anthroponotic (human to human) or zoonotic through mammalian reservoirs such as dogs and rodents.
Leishmaniasis has three principal clinical manifestations, namely cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), mucocutaneous
leishmaniasis (MCL), and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The cutaneous form characteristically causes skin ulcers, the
mucocutaneous form manifests as lesions of skin, mouth, and nose, and the (potentially lethal) visceral form affects
the internal organs such as spleen and liver and also invades the bone marrow. Leishmaniasis is endemic in about
ninety-eight countries and the diverse types of the disease occur in different regions of the world. CL is most
common in Afghanistan, Algeria, Pakistan, Iran, Brazil, and Colombia; MCL is mainly restricted to countries of the
Amazon Basin; and VL is most frequently seen in the Indian sub-continent, the Horn of Africa (Sudan and Ethiopia),
and Brazil. The current global prevalence is estimated at about 12 million, and each year, the disease in one of its
forms makes about 2 million new victims and claims up to 50,000 fatalities. This paper presents epidemiological,
biological, and clinical aspects of leishmaniasis throughout the world; then focuses on the disease in the Republic of
Suriname (South America); addresses in more detail the species of Leishmania parasites in that country; and
concludes with potential future directions to improve our understanding of leishmaniasis in Suriname.