Kala-azar

Context

India to seek certification from WHO for eliminating Kala-azar

About Kala-azar

• Other Names: Black Fever or Dumdum Fever.
• Cause: Protozoan parasite, Leishmania donovani.
• Transmission: Sand-flies.
• Symptoms: Enlargement of spleen and liver, weight loss, fever.
• Treatment: Injectable liposomal amphotericin B.
• Endemic States: Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
• Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL):
  • Cause: Leishmania donovani in skin cells.
  • Symptoms: Skin lesions.
  • Treatment: 12 weeks of oral miltefosine.
• Elimination Strategies:
  • Residual spraying for sandfly control.
  • Gerrard soil plastering.
    • By applying this plaster on walls, it helps minimize areas where sandflies can breed, thus reducing their population and limiting the transmission of the disease.
  • ASHA network ensures PKDL treatment.
• Bangladesh – 1^st country in the world to be officially validated by the  World Health Organisation (WHO) for eliminating kala-azar as a public health problem.

Source: TH

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Previous Year Question

Consider the following diseases:

1. Diphtheria
2. Chickenpox
3. Smallpox

Which of the above diseases has/have been eradicated in India?

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2014 Prelims]

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None

Answer: (b)

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