visceral leishmaniasis

Jan 24 2015 : The Times of India (Kolkata) Kala-azar now a notifiable disease Sumati Yengkhom Kolkata   As a measure to erradicate kala-azar by 2015, the Union health ministry has included the vector-borne disease under notifiable diseases in the state. In addition to West Bengal, the ministry has said kala-azar is endemic to three other states -Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. It has been put in the list of notifiable diseases there too. Kala-azar, or visceral leishmaniasis, is produced by the single-celled Leishmania Donovani parasite, named after its discoverers. Transmitted by sandflies, the disease affects organs like the liver and spleen. In some cases it becomes fatal if left undiagnosed or untreated. Out of the 54 affected districts in the four states, Bengal accounts for 11, including Murshidabad, Malda, North and South Dinajpur, Birbhum.Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and South and North 24-Parganas. “The disease was counted under notifiable diseases since January 1 this year. Now all doctors and hospitals have to inform the health department of a kala-azar case within 48 hours of diagnosis,“ a health department official said. In addition health workers will also search for people with symptoms of the infection and take them to the right place for treatment. The strategy is to diagnose it early and treat it using a single dose, called Li posomal Amphotericin B, ad ministered intravenously . This helps reduce the human reservoir of the infection. WHO (World Health Organisa tion) has agreed to supply the drug free of cost to the health ministry . “Along with the malaria eradication programme, we had worked on eradicating ka la-azar in the early 70s in Ben gal. It was assumed to have been eradicated within years. But it resurfaced in the 80s,“ said Dr Amiya Hati, former di rector of School of Tropical Medicine. The virologist who has worked extensively on kala azar explained that resurfac ing of the infection was due to the residual manifestation post kala-azar. In some pa tients skin lesions and nodules manifest even after the treat ment, in which the parasite lives on.82 4996. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/NasData/Publications/TheTimesOfIndia/Kolkata/2015/01/24/Photographs/004/24_01_2015_004_062_006.jpg