KALA
AZAR – SCI & TECH
News:
A decade and 4 deadlines
later, India set to eliminate kala azar this year
What's
in the news?
●
After missing the deadline thrice, India
is poised to achieve the elimination target for visceral leishmaniasis or kala
azar this year with no block in the country reporting more than one case per
10,000 people.
Kala
Azar:
●
Kala-azar or Visceral Leishmania is a vector borne (sandfly) neglected tropical
disease caused by the protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania that
afflicts the world’s poorest populations in over 90 countries throughout Asia,
Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America.
●
Sandflies are brown in colour and have
hairs on their bodies. The flies are infected with the parasite called ‘leishmania donovani’.
●
The vector sandfly is known to live in
cracks and crevices of muddy houses, especially in dark and humid corners.
According to the WHO, there are 3 main forms of leishmaniases of which
kala-azar is the most serious form.
●
The disease affects some of the poorest people and is linked to
malnutrition, population displacement, poor housing, a weak immune system and a
lack of financial resources.
●
Leishmaniasis is also linked to environmental changes such as
deforestation and urbanisation, according to WHO.
Affected
Population:
●
Kala-azar is current annual estimates of
kala-azar are about 1,00,000, with more than 95% of cases reported to the World
Health Organization (WHO) from India and other tropical countries, most
importantly co-infection with HIV, which leads to an immune compromised state.
●
The four States endemic for kala-azar in
India are: Bihar (33 districts),
Jharkhand (4 districts), West Bengal (11 districts), and Uttar Pradesh (six
districts).
Symptoms:
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Irregular bouts of fever over many days,
weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anemia are known
symptoms.
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The skin may become dry, thin and scaly in
patches and hair may be lost.
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In people with a light skin tone, greyish discolouration
of the skin of hands, feet, abdomen and face may be seen, that is why the
disease is also called “Black fever".
Treatment:
●
Leishmaniasis
is a treatable and curable disease, which requires an
immunocompetent system and thus those having a weak immune system are prone to
get severely affected.
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All patients diagnosed require prompt and
complete treatment.
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Anti-leishmanial medicines are available
for treatment.
●
Vector
control is also recommended by the WHO, which means reducing or
interrupting the transmission of disease by decreasing the number of sandflies
in surroundings through insecticide spray, use of insecticide-treated nets,
etc.