Fever of unknown origin and splenomegaly: a case report of visceral leishmaniasis diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing

Tweetable abstractVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a 'most neglected' tropical disease. Early diagnosis is crucial for a good prognosis. We describe a case of fever and splenomegaly of unknown origin, diagnosed as VL by metagenomic next-generation sequencing. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic disease caused by Leishmania spp., which is transmitted by sandflies. As China is not the main epidemic area and VL has complex and atypical clinical manifestations, it is easily misdiagnosed or even missed in clinical practice. Without prompt and efficient treatment, the mortality rate of VL is extremely high; therefore early diagnosis of VL is crucial. Herein we describe a case of fever and splenomegaly of unknown origin, which was finally diagnosed as VL by metagenomic next-generation sequencing.