Question

Oriental sore is caused by.
A. Bacterium
B. Virus
C. Protozoan
D. Fungus

Answer 1

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of leishmaniasis affecting humans and causes Oriental sore. The Diagnosis of this disease is based on the characteristic appearance of non-healing raised, scaling lesions which are sometimes ulcerated and become secondarily infected with organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus , in those people who have returned from an endemic area.

Complete answer:
It is a type of skin infection caused by a single-celled parasite that is transmitted by the bite of a phlebotomine sand fly. There are approximately thirty species of Leishmania that may cause cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis is a very disturbing form of cutaneous leishmaniasis as it produces destructive and disfiguring lesions of the face. Generally it is caused by Leishmania braziliensis , but in some cases it is caused by L. aethiopica.
Oriental sore is a tropical condition which is caused by the single-celled microscopic parasite Leishmania tropica and its transmission takes place by the bite of the sandfly. The areas which are affected by this disease are Mediterranean areas, China, and parts of India, but it also spreads in the west Mediterranean holiday resorts. Usually at the site of the bite, which is the face, arms or legs, a red papule develops which enlarges to 2–10 cm in diameter and it may further turn into ulcers. Small satellite papules commonly develop. This condition generally persists for 3 months to 3 years, then heals but leaves a depressed, often disfiguring, scar.

**Leishmania is a protozoan so the correct answer is C) protozoan **

Note:
Generally these oriental sores are found in the back of the elbow and ankle. These are the favorite sites of the bite of stegomyia fasciculus and stegomyia may impart this infection when infected with the parasite. In America the diagnosis of this disease is usually made by the routine examination with the microscope.