The global dispersal of visceral leishmaniasis occurred within human history
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The Leishmania donovani species complex (LdSC) causes visceral leishmaniasis (VL), is present in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, and causes 20-40,000 fatalities per year. Previous analyses concluded that dispersal of this species complex occurred 1-10 million years ago. Using updated methods and data, we show that a ten-thousand year old East African population dispersed globally only within the last 2,000 years, consistent with human migration, war and colonisation as driving factors.