YIKES!

Iraqis call it the Baghdad Boil or Black Fever - and it's attacking American soldiers.

In its most virulent form, the rare parasitic disease, known officially as Visceral Leishmaniasis, or VL, infects the kidneys and spleen and is usually fatal if left untreated.

A milder form leaves ugly lesions on the skin that can lead to permanent scarring...

With the mild form of the disease, multiple sores typically form on the legs, arms or face several weeks after the victim is bitten by an infected sand fly. Those sores can persist for years if not treated and eventually form scabs that leave ugly scars.

Those struck by the virulent form typically experience high fever, weight loss and an enlarged spleen and liver. Soldiers with confirmed cases are being shipped to Walter Reed Medical Center, where they are treated for at least three weeks with intravenous drugs.