TY - JOUR KW - Cutaneous leishmaniasis KW - Emerging infectious diseases KW - Imported infections KW - Leishmania KW - Mucosal leishmaniasis AU - Bednar D AU - Cheng M AU - Salazar S AU - Seigel K AU - Boggild AK AB - Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) traditionally associated with rural poverty in endemic regions but is increasingly encountered among international travelers, migrants, and displaced populations. Climate change, globalization, and mass human mobility have altered the epidemiology of CL, expanding the geographic range of competent vectors and increasing the burden of imported disease in non-endemic countries. Imported cases are of particular public health importance because they may serve as sentinels for autochthonous transmission in regions where vectors and reservoir hosts are present. This narrative review synthesizes surveillance data and epidemiological evidence on imported cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL), with particular emphasis on findings from regional and global surveillance networks. We describe demographic, clinical, and travel-related patterns of imported disease, highlight differences between Old World and New World CL, and discuss implications for surveillance, clinical management, and future research in the context of climate change and global migration. BT - Microorganisms DA - 08/2026 DO - 10.3390/microorganisms14081774 IS - 8 LA - ENG M3 - Article N2 - Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) traditionally associated with rural poverty in endemic regions but is increasingly encountered among international travelers, migrants, and displaced populations. Climate change, globalization, and mass human mobility have altered the epidemiology of CL, expanding the geographic range of competent vectors and increasing the burden of imported disease in non-endemic countries. Imported cases are of particular public health importance because they may serve as sentinels for autochthonous transmission in regions where vectors and reservoir hosts are present. This narrative review synthesizes surveillance data and epidemiological evidence on imported cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL), with particular emphasis on findings from regional and global surveillance networks. We describe demographic, clinical, and travel-related patterns of imported disease, highlight differences between Old World and New World CL, and discuss implications for surveillance, clinical management, and future research in the context of climate change and global migration. PB - MDPI AG PY - 2026 SP - 1 EP - 11 T2 - Microorganisms TI - Epidemiology of Imported Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Narrative Review UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/14/8/1774/pdf?version=1786620714 VL - 14 SN - 2076-2607 ER -