KALA AZAR

About:

• Kala-azar or Visceral Leishmaniasis is a protozoan parasitic disease, spread by sandfly bites. 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.
• In 2020, more than 90 per cent of new cases reported to WHO occurred in 10 countries: Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Eritrea, India, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
• In India, the disease is endemic in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.