Sowmya Pattabhi, Jacqueline Whittle, Raodoh Mohamath, Sayda El‐Safi et al.
BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is diagnosed by microscopic confirmation of the parasite in bone marrow, spleen or lymph node aspirates. These procedures are unsuitable for rapid diagnosis of VL in field settings. The development of rK39-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) revolutionized diag...
Filip Meheus, Manica Balasegaram, Piero Olliaro, Shyam Sundar et al.
BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis is a systemic parasitic disease that is fatal unless treated. We assessed the cost and cost-effectiveness of alternative strategies for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in the Indian subcontinent. In particular we examined whether combination therapies are a...
Caryn Bern, Rashidul Haque, RAJIB CHOWDHURY, Mustakim Ali et al.
We examined the epidemiology of kala-azar and asymptomatic leishmanial infection measured by serologic and leishmanin skin test results in a Bangladeshi community. In a subset, we measured serum retinol, zinc and C-reactive protein (CRP). Kala-azar and seroconversion incidence were 15.6 and 63.1 per...
Dinesh Mondal, Prakash Ghosh, Md Anik Ashfaq Khan, Faria Hossain et al.
BACKGROUND: Leishmania donovani (LD) is a protozoan parasite transmitted to humans from sand flies, which causes Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). Currently, the diagnosis is based on presence of the anti-LD antibodies and clinical symptoms. Molecular diagnosis would require real-time PCR, which is not e...
Caryn Bern, Rajib Chowdhury
The parasitic disease kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis, VL) was first described in 1824 in Jessore district, Bengal (now Bangladesh). Epidemic peaks were recorded in Bengal in the 1820s, 1860s, 1920s, and 1940s. After achieving good control of the disease during the intensive vector control efforts...
Greg Matlashewski, Byron Arana, Axel Kroeger, S. Battacharya et al.
The world's burden of infectious diseases can be substantially reduced by more-effective use of existing interventions. Advances in case detection, diagnosis, and treatment strategies have made it possible to consider the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis in the Indian subcontinent. The priority...
Begoña Monge‐Maíllo, Rogelio López‐Vélez
Miltefosine is the only recognized oral agent with potential to treat leishmaniasis. Miltefosine had demonstrated very good cure rates for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, but high rates of clinical failures have been recently reported. Moderate efficacy has been observed...
Jenefer M. Blackwell, Michaela Fakiola, Muntaser E. Ibrahim, Sarra E. Jamieson et al.
Ninety per cent of the 500,000 annual new cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) occur in India/Bangladesh/Nepal, Sudan and Brazil. Importantly, 80-90% of human infections are sub-clinical or asymptomatic, usually associated with strong cell-mediated immunity. Understanding the environmental and genet...
Marleen Boelaert, Sujit Bhattacharya, François Chappuis, Sayda Hassan El Safi et al.
Anand Joshi, J P Narain, C Prasittisuk, Rajesh Bhatia et al.
Data on the burden of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Indian sub-continent are vital for elimination programme planners for estimating resource requirements, effective implementation and monitoring of elimination programme. In Indian sub-continent, about 200 million population is at risk of VL. Nearl...
Indu B. Ahluwalia, Caryn Bern, Cristiane Maria Amorim Costa, Tangin Akter et al.
Visceral leishmaniasis, or kala azar (KA), affects the rural poor, causing significant morbidity and mortality. We examined the epidemiologic, social, and economic impact of KA in a village in Bangladesh. A population-based survey among 2,348 people demonstrated a KA incidence of 2% per year from 20...
Anand Joshi, Murari Lal Das, Shireen Akhter, Rajib Chowdhury et al.
BACKGROUND: Bangladesh, India and Nepal are working towards the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) by 2015. In 2005 the World Health Organization/Training in Tropical Diseases launched an implementation research programme to support integrated vector management for the elimination of VL from...
Kazi Mizanur Rahman, Shamim Islam, Muhammad Waliur Rahman, Eben Kenah et al.
Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) occurs after kala-azar treatment and acts as a durable infection reservoir. On the basis of active case finding among 22,699 respondents, 813 (3.6%) had had kala-azar since 2002, of whom 79 (9.7%) developed PKDL. Eight additional patients with PKDL had no h...
Nancy Brewig, Adrien Kissenpfennig, Bernard MALISSEN, Alexandra Veit et al.
The biological role of Langerin+ dendritic cells (DCs) such as Langerhans cells and a subset of dermal DCs (dDCs) in adaptive immunity against cutaneous pathogens remains enigmatic. Thus, we analyzed the impact of Langerin+ DCs in adaptive T cell-mediated immunity toward Leishmania major parasites i...
Faria Hossain, Prakash Ghosh, Md Anik Ashfaq Khan, Malcolm S. Duthie et al.
Sustained elimination of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) requires the reduction and control of parasite reservoirs to minimize the transmission of Leishmania donovani infection. A simple, reproducible and definitive diagnostic procedure is therefore indispensable for the early and accurate detection of ...