Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), commonly known as kala-azar in Indian subcontinent is a major public health problem and >90% of cases are from India, Bangladesh, southern Sudan, Nepal and north-east Brazil. VL affects more than 1,00,000 persons every year in India and occurs epidemically and endemically in well-defined areas in the eastern parts of the country, mainly Bihar, West Bengal, the easte...

An increased number of autochthonous visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases has recently been reported in Bologna Province in northern Italy. Over six months from November 2012 to May 2013, 14 cases occurred, whereas the average number of cases per year was 2.6 (range: 0-8) in 2008 to 2012. VL was diagnosed in a median of 40 days (range: 15-120) from disease onset. This delay in diagnosis shows the ...

The objectives of this article were to discuss the rapid spread of visceral leishmaniasis in urban areas of Brazil and to raise practical questions and perspectives related to control of the disease. Among the proposed methods, the elimination of seropositive dogs is the most controversial and least accepted by society. Its impact on incidence rates varies among studies (positive in some and re...

OBJECTIVE To study epidemiological and clinical aspects of American visceral leishmaniasis in hospitalized children in Ceará, Brazil. METHODS A retrospective and observational study was carried out with children suffering from American visceral leishmaniasis admitted to Hospital Infantil Albert Sabin in Fortaleza. Medical records were reviewed consistently. Inclusion criteria were children wi...

Several organs are affected in visceral leishmaniasis, not only those rich in mononuclear phagocytes. Hypergammaglobulinemia occurs during visceral leishmaniasis; anti-Leishmania antibodies are not primarily important for protection but might be involved in the pathogenesis of tissue lesions. The glomerulonephritis occurring in visceral leishmaniasis has been attributed to immune complex deposi...

visceral leishmaniasis or kala azar is endemic in certain regions of india. in endemic areas, the con-stellation of fever, progressive weight loss, weakness, pronounced splenomegaly, anemia, leukopenia, and hypergammaglobulinemia is highly suggestive of visceral leishmaniasis. demonstration of the parasite in liver, splenic or bone marrow aspirates is confirmatory. we present a case in which le...