A traveler returning from a trip to the Andes Mountains in Central America noticed the formation of a boil on his lower leg. His physician opened the lesion and sent the purulent material to the lab for analysis. A stained preparation of the submitted material is shown here. Name the parasitic form seen in this view:

Question

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The amastigote form is found in the primary local lesions of the skin for all Leishmannia spp. For L. Donovani, amastigote forms invade internal organs, causing visceral leishmaniasis. The other Leishmania species cause diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis. LD bodies are found in infected organ tissues. Biopsies of this patient's enlarged organs would confirm the diagnosis. The promastigote form is found in the sandfly vector. The trypanosome form is found in the blood stream for T. cruzi, with amastigote forms found in tissue macrophages.

A Traveler Returning from a Trip to the Andes Mountains