Is leishmaniasis a new disease spreading in Thailand, with more than 14 infections so far this year? No, that's not true: The disease has been around since 1996. A Thai health agency said there have only been two patients this year, by April 25, 2025.
The claim appeared in multiple TikTok videos, including one posted on April 26, 2025 (archived here), with the following caption, which read (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff):
Breaking news, watch out for this insect! #epidemic #southernourland #pumpkintown #Bangkok #goodlifeinbangkok #warning #pharmacistfiu #pharmacistfiu
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu May 1 13:19:54 2025 UTC)
The video claims leishmaniasis is spreading in Thailand, with 14 cases reported in the southern provinces at the time of writing. The person in the video says that besides the south, people in Bangkok, Chantaburi, and other northern provinces should also be on alert, as cases were reported there too.
According to the Thai Department of Disease Control (archived here), the disease isn't new and has existed in Thailand since 1996, with an all-time total of 45 cumulative patients and seven deaths. In 2025, there have been two confirmed patients with one fatality so far, the agency said on April 25, 2025. The two patients were from Songkla and Bangkok.
Dr. Jurai Wongsawat, Thai DDC's spokesperson, said at a press conference on April 22, 2025, which was posted on the agency's Facebook page (see screenshot below), that leishmaniasis is a protozoan infectious disease transmitted by sandflies to mammals, including dogs, cats and rabbits, being disease-carrying animals (archived here).
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu May 8 09:04:13 2025 UTC)
Wongsawat said the public can protect themselves from the disease by taking similar precautions as they do for mosquito-related diseases. "If we strictly follow these measures, we can also be safe from this disease," she concluded.
Meanwhile, the Director of Bangkok's Medical Service Department Lertluck Leelaruangsang said on May 1, 2025, through the administration website (archived here) that the central Bangkok government has collaborated with all 50 district offices to implement measures to monitor leishmaniasis in the Bangkok area.
(Source: Screenshot taken from the Thai Department of Disease Control on Thu May 1 2025 UTC)
