The treatment is determined by where the disease is acquired, the species of "Leishmania", and the type of infection.

For visceral leishmaniasis in India, South America, and the Mediterranean, liposomal amphotericin B is the recommended treatment and is often used as a single dose. Rates of cure with a single dose of amphotericin have been reported as 95%. In India, almost all infections are resistant to pentavalent antimonials. In Africa, a combination of pentavalent antimonials and paromomycin is recommended. These, however, can have significant side effects. Miltefosine, an oral medication, is effective against both visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Side effects are generally mild, though it can cause birth defects if taken within 3 months of getting pregnant. It does not appear to work for "L. major" or "L. braziliensis".

The evidence around the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis is poor. A number of topical treatments may be used for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Which treatments are effective depends on the strain, with topical paromomycin effective for "L. major", "L. tropica", "L. mexicana", "L. panamensis", and "L. braziliensis". Pentamidine is effective for "L. guyanensis". Oral fluconazole or itraconazole appears effective in "L. major" and "L. tropica".

As with many diseases in developing nations, (including trypanosomiasis and malaria) effective and affordable chemotherapy is sorely lacking and parasites or insect vectors are becoming increasingly resistant to existing anti-parasite drugs. Possibly due to the lack of financial return, new drugs are slow to emerge and much of the basic research into potential drug targets takes place in universities, funded by charitable organizations. Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) like Drugs for Neglected Diseases "initiatives" also work on the development of new treatments (combination treatments and new chemical entities) for visceral leishmaniasis.

The traditional treatment is with pentavalent antimonials such as sodium stibogluconate and meglumine antimoniate. Resistance is now common in India, and rates of resistance have been shown to be as high as 60% in parts of Bihar, India.

The treatment of choice for visceral leishmaniasis acquired in India is now Amphotericin B in its various liposomal preparations. In East Africa, the WHO recommended treatment is SSG&PM (sodium stibogluconate and paromomycin) developed by Drugs for Neglected Diseases "initiative" (DNDi)in 2010.

Miltefosine is the first oral treatment for this disease. The cure rate of miltefosine in Phase III clinical trials is 95%; Studies in Ethiopia show that is also effective in Africa. In HIV immunosuppressed people which are coinfected with leishmaniasis it has shown that even in resistant cases 2/3 of the people responded to this new treatment.

Miltefosine has received approval by the Indian regulatory authorities in 2002, in Germany in 2004 and in U.S.A. in 2014. It is now registered in many countries.

The drug is generally better tolerated than other drugs. Main side effects are gastrointestinal disturbance in the first or second day of treatment (a course of treatment is 28 days) which does not affect the efficacy. Because it is available as an oral formulation, the expense and inconvenience of hospitalization is avoided, and outpatient distribution of the drug becomes an option, making Miltefosine a drug of choice.

Incomplete treatment has been cited as a major reason of death from visceral leishmaniasis.

The nonprofit Institute for OneWorld Health has adopted the broad spectrum antibiotic paromomycin for use in treating VL; its antileishmanial properties were first identified in the 1980s. A treatment with paromomycin costs about $15 USD. The drug had originally been identified in the 1960s. The Indian government approved paromomycin for sale and use in August 2006.

There are no vaccines or preventive drugs for visceral leishmaniasis. The most effective method to prevent infection is to protect from sand fly bites. To decrease the risk of being bitten, these precautionary measures are suggested:

- Outdoors:

1. Avoid outdoor activities, especially from dusk to dawn, when sand flies generally are the most active.

2. When outdoors (or in unprotected quarters), minimize the amount of exposed (uncovered) skin to the extent that is tolerable in the climate. Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks; and tuck your shirt into your pants.

3. Apply insect repellent to exposed skin and under the ends of sleeves and pant legs. Follow the instructions on the label of the repellent. The most effective repellents generally are those that contain the chemical DEET (N,N-diethylmetatoluamide).

- Indoors:

1. Stay in well-screened or air-conditioned areas.

2. Keep in mind that sand flies are much smaller than mosquitoes and therefore can get through smaller holes.

3. Spray living/sleeping areas with an insecticide to kill insects.

4. If you are not sleeping in a well-screened or air-conditioned area, use a bed net and tuck it under your mattress. If possible, use a bed net that has been soaked in or sprayed with a pyrethroid-containing insecticide. The same treatment can be applied to screens, curtains, sheets, and clothing (clothing should be retreated after five washings)."

On February 2012, the nonprofit Infectious Disease Research Institute launched a clinical trial of the visceral leishmaniasis vaccine. The vaccine is a recombinant form of two fused Leishmania parasite proteins with an adjuvant. Two phase 1 clinical trials with healthy volunteers are to be conducted. The first one takes place in Washington (state) and is followed by a trial in India.

Currently, no cure exists for canine leishmaniasis, but various treatment options are available in different countries. Treatment is best coordinated with veterinary research hospitals. Treatment does vary by geographic area, strain of infection and exhibited symptoms. Dogs can be asymptomatic for years. Most common treatments include:

"L. donovani"

- Antimonial resistant

- Polyene antibiotic amphotericin B

"L. infantum"

- Amphotericin B

- Meglumine antimoniate

- Pentavalent antimonials

- Miltefosine

- Allopurinol

There have been no documented cases of leishmaniasis transmission from dogs to humans.

In areas where the known vector is a sandfly, deltamethrin collars worn by the dogs has been proven to be 86% effective. The sandfly is most active at dusk and dawn; keeping dogs indoors during those peak times will help minimize exposure.

Unfortunately, there is no one answer for leishmaniasis prevention, nor will one vaccine cover multiple species. "Different virulence factors have been identified for distinct "Leishmania" species, and there are profound differences in the immune mechanisms that mediate susceptibility/resistance to infection and in the pathology associated with disease."

In 2003, Fort Dodge Wyeth released the Leshmune vaccine in Brazil for "L. donovani" (also referred to as "kala-azar" in Brazil). Studies indicated up to 87% protection. Most common side effects from the vaccine have been noted as anorexia and local swelling.

The president of the Brazil Regional Council of Veterinary Medicine, Marcia Villa, warned since vaccinated dogs develop antibodies, they can be difficult to distinguish from asymptomatic, infected dogs.

Studies also indicate the Leshmune vaccine may be reliable in treating "L. chagasi", and a possible treatment for dogs already infected with "L. donovani".

The best treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis is not known. Treatments that work for one species of leishmania may not work for another; it is recommended that advice of a tropical medicine or geographical medicine specialist be sought. Ideally, every effort should be made to establish the species of leishmania by molecular techniques (PCR) prior to starting treatment. In the setting of a developing country, there is often only one species present in a particular locality, so it is usually unnecessary to speciate every infection. Unfortunately, leishmaniasis is an orphan disease in developed nations, and almost all the current treatment options are toxic with significant side effects. The most sound treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis thus far is prevention.

- "Leishmania major" :"L. major" infections are usually considered to heal spontaneously and do not require treatment, but there have been several reports of severe cases caused by "L. major" in Afghanistan. In Saudi Arabia, a six-week course of oral fluconazole 200 mg daily has been reported to speed up healing. In a randomized clinical trial from Iran, fluconazole 400 mg daily was shown to be significantly more effective than fluconazole 200 mg daily in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

- "Leishmania braziliensis" :Treatment with pentavalent antimonials or amphotericin is necessary, because of the risk of developing disfiguring mucocutaneous lesions.

- "Leishmania infantum" :"L. infantum" causes cutaneous leishmaniasis in southern France.

New treatment options are arising from the new oral drug miltefosine (Impavido) which has shown in several clinical trials to be very efficient and safe in visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Recent studies from Bolivia show a high cure rate for mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. Comparative studies against pentavalent antimonials in Iran and Pakistan are also beginning to show a high cure rate for "L. major" and "L. tropica". It is registered in many countries of Latin America, as well in Germany. In October 2006 it received orphan drug status from the US Food and Drug administration. The drug is generally better tolerated than other drugs. Main side effects are gastrointestinal disturbances in the 1–2 days of treatment which does not affect the efficacy.

Secondary bacterial infection (especially with "Staphylococcus aureus") is common and may require antibiotics. Clinicians who are unfamiliar with cutaneous leishmaniasis may mistake the lesion for a pure bacterial infection (especially after isolation of "S. aureus" from bacterial skin swabs) and fail to consider the possibility of leishmaniasis.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in all tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The distribution of this disease is very tightly linked to geography, and villages even 15 miles apart can have very different rates of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Most species of "Leishmania" are capable of infecting humans and causing cutaneous leishmaniasis. In the New World, these organisms include "L. amazonensis", "L. braziliensis", "L. guyanensis", "L. lainsoni", "L. lindenbergi", "L. mexicana", "L. naiffi", "L. panamensis", "L. peruviana", "L. shawi", and "L. venezuelensis". Old World species that cause cutaneous leishmaniasis include "L. aethiopica", "L. infantum", "L. major", and "L. tropica". With the exception of "L. tropica" — which is commonly associated with human settlements and therefore considered to be an anthroponotic species — all of these organisms are zoonotic. As demographic changes occur in developing nations, some species that have traditionally been considered to be zoonotic (e.g., "L. panamensis") are becoming primarily human pathogens.

Dogs and rodents serve as the primary animal reservoir hosts in the sylvatic cycle, but people with chronic PKDL can also serve as important reservoir hosts for cutaneous leishmaniasis. The most common vectors for cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Old World are sandflies of the genus "Phlebotomus", while "Lutzomyia" and those within the family Psychodidae (especially the genus "Psychodopygus") are the most common vectors in the New World. There are more than 600 species of phlebotomine sandflies, and only 30 of these are known vectors. Cutaneous leishmaniasis has been seen in American and Canadian troops coming back from Afghanistan.

The Institute for OneWorld Health has reintroduced the drug paromomycin for treatment of leishmaniasis, results with which led to its approval as an orphan drug. The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative is also actively facilitating the search for novel therapeutics. A treatment with paromomycin will cost about $10. The drug had originally been identified in the 1960s, but had been abandoned because it would not be profitable, as the disease mostly affects poor people. The Indian government approved paromomycin for sale in August 2006.

The World Health Organization has gotten a reduced cost for liposomal amphotericin B at $18 a vial, but many vials may be needed for treatment and it must be kept cool.

Inclusion of NTDs into initiatives for malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, as well as integration of NTD treatment programs, may have advantages given the strong link between these diseases and NTDs. Some neglected tropical diseases share common vectors (sandflies, black flies, and mosquitos). Both medicinal and vector control efforts may be combined.

A four-drug rapid-impact package has been proposed for widespread proliferation. Administration may be made more efficient by targeting multiple diseases at once, rather than separating treatment and adding work to community workers. This package is estimated to cost US$0.40 per patient. When compared to stand-alone treatment, the savings are estimated to be 26–47%. While more research must be done in order to understand how NTDs and other diseases interact in both the vector and the human stages, safety assessments have so far produced positive results.

Many neglected tropical diseases and other prevalent diseases share common vectors, creating another opportunity for treatment and control integration. One such example of this is malaria and lymphatic filariasis. Both diseases are transmitted by the same or related mosquito vectors. Vector control, through the distribution of insecticide treated nets, reduces the human contact with a wide variety of disease vectors. Integrated vector control may also alleviate pressure on mass drug administration, especially with respect to rapidly evolving drug resistance. Combining vector control and mass drug administration deemphasizes both, making each less susceptible to resistance evolution.

Snakebite was added to the list in 2017, after years of criticism of the WHO by activists for not making it a priority. The greatest burden of snakebite morbidity is in India and Southeast Asia. Globally, there are an estimated 421,000 envenomings each year (about 1 in 4 snakebites) and 20,000 deaths, but snakebites often go unreported.

A canine vector-borne disease (CVBD) is one of "a group of globally distributed and rapidly spreading illnesses that are caused by a range of pathogens transmitted by arthropods including ticks, fleas, mosquitoes and phlebotomine sandflies." CVBDs are important in the fields of veterinary medicine, animal welfare, and public health. Some CVBDs are of zoonotic concern.

Many CVBD infect humans as well as companion animals. Some CVBD are fatal; most can only be controlled, not cured. Therefore, infection should be avoided by preventing arthropod vectors from feeding on the blood of their preferred hosts. While it is well known that arthropods transmit bacteria and protozoa during blood feeds, viruses are also becoming recognized as another group of transmitted pathogens of both animals and humans.

Some "canine vector-borne pathogens of major zoonotic concern" are distributed worldwide, while others are localized by continent. Listed by vector, some such pathogens and their associated diseases are the following:

- Phlebotomine sandflies (Psychodidae): "Leishmania amazonensis", "L. colombiensis", and "L. infantum" cause visceral leishmaniasis (see also canine leishmaniasis). "L. braziliensis" causes mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. "L. tropica" causes cutaneous leishmaniasis. "L. peruviana" and "L. major" cause localized cutaneous leishmaniasis.

- Triatomine bugs (Reduviidae): "Trypanosoma cruzi" causes trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease).

- Ticks (Ixodidae): "Babesia canis" subspecies ("Babesia canis canis", "B. canis vogeli", "B. canis rossi", and "B. canis gibsoni" cause babesiosis. "Ehrlichia canis" and "E. chaffeensis" cause monocytic ehrlichiosis. "Anaplasma phagocytophilum" causes granulocytic anaplasmosis. "Borrelia burgdorferi" causes Lyme disease. "Rickettsia rickettsii" causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever. "Rickettsia conorii" causes Mediterranean spotted fever.

- Mosquitoes (Culicidae): "Dirofilaria immitis" and "D. repens" cause dirofilariasis.

Many human diseases can be transmitted to other primates, due to their extensive biological similarities. As a result, centers that hold, treat, or involve close proximity to primates and some other kinds of animals (for example zoos, researchers, and animal hospitals), often take steps to ensure animals are not exposed to human diseases they can catch. In some cases animals are routinely immunized with the same vaccines given to humans.

- Leishmaniasis - Both zoonotic and anthroponotic.

- Influenza, Measles, pneumonia and various other pathogens - Many primates.

- Tuberculosis - Both zoonotic and anthroponotic, with birds, cows, elephants, meerkats, mongooses, monkeys, and pigs known to have been affected.

Sulfonamides are the traditional remedies to paracoccidiodomycosis. They were introduced by Oliveira Ribeiro and used for more than 50 years with good results. The most-used sulfa drugs in this infection are sulfadimethoxime, sulfadiazine, and co-trimoxazole. This treatment is generally safe, but several adverse effects can appear, the most severe of which are the Stevens-Johnson syndrome and agranulocytosis. Similarly to tuberculosis treatment, it must be continued for up to three years to eradicate the fungus, and relapse and treatment failures are not unusual.

Antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B or itraconazole and ketoconazole are more effective in clearing the infection, but are limited by their cost when compared with sulfonamides.During therapy, fibrosis can appear and surgery may be needed to correct this. Another possible complication is Addisonian crisis. The mortality rate in children is around 7-10%.

Rat-bite Fever (RBF) is an rodent borne disease caused by two types of bacteria, "Streptobacillus moniliformis", which is predominany in North America and "Spirillum minus", predominantly in Asia. Rat-bite fever is contacted by bites or scratches from an infected rodent, contaminated food or beverages with either bacteria, or by handling rodents with the disease, without necessariliy being bitten or scratched by the rodent.

An anthroponotic disease, or anthroponosis, is an infectious disease in which a disease causing agent carried by humans is transferred to other animals. It may cause the same disease or a different disease in other animals. Since humans do not generally inflict bite wounds on other animals, the method of transmissions is always a "soft" contact such as skin to skin transmission. An example is chytridiomycosis which can be spread by humans with the fungus on their skin handling frogs with bare hands.

The reverse situation, a disease transmitted from animals to humans, is known as zoonotic.

It can also be defined as a human-to-human infection with no animal vector.

Colorado Tick Fever virus causes high fevers, chills, headache, fatigue and sometimes vomiting, skin rash, and abdominal pain. The virus is caused by a Rock Mountain wood tick ("Dermacentro Andersoni"). It is an arbovirus, but rodents serve as the reservoir. The tick is carried by five species of rodents: the least chipmunk (Eutamias minimus, Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus richarsoni), deer mice (Peromyscus manipulates), the golden mantled squirrel (Spermophilus laterals), and the Uinta chipmunk ( Eutamias umbrinus). The infected tick will be carried by its rodent host and infect another host (animal or human) as it feeds.

Paracoccidioidomycosis has been reported as an autochthonous disease from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. No cases have been reported from Belize and Nicaragua in Central America, or from Chile, French Guiana, Guiana, and Suriname in South America. Paracoccidioidomycosis is prevalent in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Argentina, and is classically associated with individuals from rural areas. The typical patient is a man aged 30 to 50 years.

Lucio's phenomenon is treated by anti-leprosy therapy (dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine), optimal wound care, and treatment for bacteremia including antibiotics. In severe cases exchange transfusion may be helpful.

Viscerotropic leishmaniasis is a systemic infection reported in soldiers fighting in Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia.

Parasitic infestations, stings, and bites in humans are caused by several groups of organisms belonging to the following phyla: Annelida, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, Chordata, Cnidaria, Cyanobacteria, Echinodermata, Nemathelminthes, Platyhelminthes, and Protozoa.

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (also known as "Post-kala-azar dermatosis") is a cutaneous condition that is characterized by depigmented macular, maculopapular and nodular eruptions found mainly on the face, arms, and upper part of the trunk. It occurs years(in the Indian variation)or a few months(in the African strain) after the successful treatment of visceral leishmaniasis

Virus-related cutaneous conditions are caused by two main groups of viruses–DNA and RNA types–both of which are obligatory intracellular parasites.

Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA) (also known as Herxheimer disease and primary diffuse atrophy) is a skin rash indicative of the third or late stage of European Lyme borreliosis.

ACA is a dermatological condition that takes a chronically progressive course and finally leads to a widespread atrophy of the skin. Involvement of the peripheral nervous system is often observed, specifically polyneuropathy.

This progressive skin process is due to the effect of continuing active infection with the spirochete "Borrelia afzelii", which is the predominant pathophysiology. "B. afzelii" may not be the exclusive etiologic agent of ACA; "Borrelia garinii" has also been detected.

The diffuse leprosy of Lucio and Latapí, also known as diffuse lepromatous leprosy or "pretty leprosy" is a clinical variety of lepromatous leprosy. It was first described by Lucio and Alvarado in 1852 and re-identified by Latapí in 1936. It is common in Mexico (23% leprosy cases) and in Costa Rica and very rare in other countries.

The course of ACA is long-standing, from a few to several years, and it leads to extensive atrophy of the skin and, in some patients, to the limitation of upper and lower limb joint mobility.The outlook is good if the acute inflammatory stage of ACA is treated adequately. The therapeutic outcome is difficult to assess in patients with the chronic atrophic phase, in which many changes are only partially reversible.

Physicians should use serologic and histologic examination to confirm the diagnosis of ACA. Treatment consists of antibiotics including doxycycline and penicillin for up to four weeks in the acute case.