a strain of Leishmania mexicana accorded species status by those who consider it responsible for the diffuse or disseminated form of cutaneous leishmaniasis. It is responsible for this condition in Venezuela, where it was described, but it is now recognized that several species and subspecies of Leishmania cause similar disseminated forms of leishmaniasis in widely separated regions (Leishmania mexicana amazonensis, Leishmania aethiopica); absence or suppression of the cell-mediated immune response in the host is also an important factor in induction of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis. SYN: Leishmania pifanoi.