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 – 1st 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
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)
