Visitors ’skin’ an exhibit to explore disfiguring disease

For Immediate Release - Friday 25 june 2010 Visitors to a new scientific exhibition on London's Southbank this week will be asked to destroy the 'skin' of an exhibit - an unusual twist to help them understand what life is like for people living under the shadow of the disfiguring disease leishmaniasis. The exhibit, organised by researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, is part of the Royal Society's annual Summer Science Exhibition, which opens today (25 June 2010). It aims to raise awareness of leishmaniasis and to show the work that researchers are doing to combat it. Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease that can cause debilitating skin lesions. Caused by the Leishmania parasite, it is the second biggest cause of death due to parasitic infections after malaria. It affects an estimated 12 million people in 88 countries, with approximately 350 million more at risk of infection. For the hands-on exhibit, visitors will be confronted with a hut covered on the outside with layers of photographs of human skin.