KALA AZAR (VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS)

Aug. 4, 2019

Researchers at the IIT Hyderabad have been able to achieve sustained release of the drug (Amphotericin B) for up to 10 days, which can be used for treating kala-azar. This is move towards oral administration of kala-azar drug, which currently has major challenges.

Leishmaniasis:

It is a disease caused by parasites of the Leishmania type. It is spread by the bite of certain types of sandflies.
It is classified as a neglected tropical disease.
The disease can manifest in three ways:
- CUTANEOUS form presents with skin ulcers.
- MUCOCUTANEOUS form presents with ulcers of the skin, mouth, and nose
- VISCERAL form starts with skin ulcers and then later presents with fever, low red blood cells, and enlarged spleen and liver.

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL):

It is also known as kala-azar, black fever, and Dumdum fever.
The parasite is spread to humans by bites from infected female sand flies. It attacks the immune system, and is almost always fatal if not treated.
This parasitic disease is confined to humans.
In this, the parasite migrates to the internal organs such as the liver, bone marrow and spleen (hence "visceral").
This disease is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world (after malaria).
It has a high fatality rate. If untreated, it can kill within two years of the onset of the ailment.