Kala-azar

12 Nov 2024 15:05:21 pm

Tags : Kala-azar

Topic: Diseases

Why in the news?

India to seek WHO certification for eliminating Kala-azar disease.
India could be at the threshold of eliminating Kala-azar as a public health problem with the country having managed to keep the number of cases under one in 10,000 as per the World Health Organization (WHO) parameters for elimination certification for two consecutive years now.
Kala-azar is the second deadliest parasitic disease after malaria in India. As per figures released by the Health Ministry India registered 595 cases and four deaths in 2023 and this year it has recorded 339 cases and one death so far.

Source: The Hindu

About Kala-azar:

It is also known as Visceral Leishmaniasis or Black Fever or Dumdum Fever.
It is a deadly parasitic disease caused by the protozoa parasite Leishmania and mainly affects the people living in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The disease can cause death, if left untreated.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Kala-azar is the second deadliest parasitic disease in the world.
- India contributes more than 11% of total cases of Kala-azar reported globally.
- Over 90% of kala-azar cases in India are reported from Bihar and Jharkhand, while Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have achieved their elimination targets at the block level.
It is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected female phlebotomine sandfly.
Its symptoms include fever, weight loss, anemia, and enlargement of the liver and spleen.
Prevention:
- It involves measures to reduce the breeding sites of sandflies and to protect people from sandfly bites.
  - This can be achieved through the use of insecticides, bed nets, and repellents, as well as the improvement of housing conditions and access to clean water and sanitation.
- The WHO recommends Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in areas where the disease is endemic.
Treatment:
- It involves the use of drugs, such as sodium stibogluconate and meglumine antimoniate.
- The WHO recommends a combination of two or more drugs for the treatment of kala-azar, as monotherapy has a higher risk of treatment failure and drug resistance.