The African Green Monkey model for cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis

Non-human primates are valuable models for biomedical research because of t heir similarities to human anatomy, immunology and physiology. Leishmaniasi s, a disease caused by protozoan parasites, has a worldwide distribution an d results in high morbidity and mortality. Availability of a non-human prim ate model of leishmaniasis would facilitate the study of different aspects of this disease and would accelerate the development of vaccines and new dr ugs. In this article, some interesting features of the vervet monkey (Afric an Green monkey) model of human cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis are di scussed.