Context

Recently, informed by the Ministry of Health that the Kala-azar cases in India fell to 834 in 2022 from 44,533 in 2007 — a 98.7 percent decline.

About

About the disease:

• Kala-azar or black fever is a chronic and potentially fatal parasitic disease of the internal organs, particularly the liver, spleen, bone marrow and lymph nodes.
• Caused by: It is caused by bites from female phlebotomine sandflies – the vector (or transmitter) of the leishmania parasite.
• Transmission: Leishmania donovani is transmitted by sandfly bites in parts of Asia (primarily India), Africa (primarily Sudan), South America (primarily Brazil), Europe (primarily in the Mediterranean region) and in North America.
• According to WHO, if the disease is not treated, the fatality rate in developing countries can be as high as 100% within 2 years.

Symptoms of Kala azar:

• Fever, loss of appetite (anorexia), fatigue, enlargement of the liver, spleen and nodes and suppression of the bone marrow.

Diagnosing Kala azar:

• The first oral drug found to be effective for treating kala-azar is miltefosine.