BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE The risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection in patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar in endemic areas has posed a major challenge in control programmes. We undertook this study to identify the high risk groups vulnerable to Leishmania-HIV co-infection in VL endemic State of Bihar, India. Further, immunological responses were also evaluated...

BACKGROUND Since December 2009, Médecins Sans Frontières has diagnosed and treated patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Tabarak Allah Hospital, eastern Gedaref State, one of the main endemic foci of VL in Sudan. A survey was conducted to estimate the VL incidence in villages around Tabarak Allah. METHODS Between the 5(th) of May and the 17(th) of June 2011, we conducted an exhaustive ...

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that is transmitted through a bite of some species of sandflies. It is caused by obliged intra-cellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania and is responsible for a broad spectrum of clinical syndromes: cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (ML). The visceral disease (classically known as "kala azar") is the m...

BACKGROUND Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL; also known as Kala-azar) is an ultimately fatal disease endemic in Bihar. A 2007 observational cohort study in Bihar of 251 patients with VL treated with 20 mg/Kg intravenous liposomal amphotericin B (Ambisome) demonstrated a 98% cure rate at 6-months. Between July 2007 and August 2012, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Rajendra Memorial Research Inst...

Here, we investigated the quantitative and qualitative differences in antibody classes and subclasses in serum immune complexes (ICs) of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) and different cross reactive diseases like Malaria, Leprosy, Vitiligo as compared to control subjects. IC levels were measured through a newly developed PEG ELISA, using L. donovani promas...

background: visceral leishmaniasis (vl) or kala-azar is an important parasitic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania including l. donovani and l. infantum. some evidences show that vl is present in some areas of kermanshah province and this study aimed to characterize the causative agent of vl in this region. methods: bone marrow sample was obtained from 9 vl patients fr...

BACKGROUND We assessed the feasibility and results of active case detection (ACD) of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) and other febrile diseases as well as of bednet impregnation for vector control. METHODS Fever camps were organized and analyzed in twelve VL endemic villages in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. VL, PKDL, tuberculosis, malaria and leprosy we...

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a life-threatening systemic disease caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan, Leishmania, and transmitted to humans by the female phlebotomine sand fly (Phlebotomus argentipes). The disease is fatal, if left untreated. We report a case of a patient clinically suspected of disseminated tuberculosis, but fine needle aspiration cytolog...

Sodium stibogluconate (SSG) is the first-line therapy for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in south-eastern Nepal. Recent studies from the neighbouring state of Bihar, India, have shown a dramatic fall in cure rates with treatment failure occurring in up to 65% of VL patients treated with SSG. A prospective study was conducted at a tertiary-level hospital located in south-eastern Nepal from July 199...

Background Leishmaniasis manifests as visceral (VL), cutaneous (CL) or a dermal sequel of VL, known as Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical and laboratory features of cases diagnosed with leishmaniasis. Methods This hospital-based retrospective study included all cases of VL, PKDL, and CL diagnosed between Jan 2011 to Jan 2016 at All Ind...