Kala Azar in South Asia, 2011 Current Status and Challenges Ahead

Therapeutic regimens for visceral leishmaniasis (also Kala-azar, Dum-dum fever or black fever), caused by parasitic protozoa of the Leishmania genus, evolve at a pace never seen before. Spread by tiny and abundant sand flies, the parasite infects internal organs and bone marrow and if left untreated will almost always result in the death of the host. In developing countries successful diagnosis and treatment are complicated by asymptomatic cases, undernutrition and Kala-azar/HIV co-infections.

This book brings together world-renown experts writing state-of-arts review on the progress in diagnosis and treatment of visceral leishmaniasis, ultimately leading to the complete elimination of this fatal disease from South Asia. The chapters provide valuable information for disease control as well as therapy and the diagnostic improvements necessary for early treatment, subclinical detection and drug-resistant cases. The presented methods allow for points-of-care testing in the endemic area, enabling rapid detection in resource-poor settings with easy handling and low costs. 

This book provides essential information for scientists, medical practitioners and policy makers involved in the diagnosis, treatment and elimination of Kala-azar.

Preface.- Section 1: Introduction into Kala-Azar.- 1. Geography.- 2.  Pathology and Mechanism of Kala-azar & PKDL.- 3. Diagnosis and Treatment of Kala-azar & PKDL.- Section 2: Therapeutic Strategy to Deal with Emergence of Drug Resistance.- 4. Epidemiology of Drug-Resistant Kala-azar in India and neighboring countries.- 5. Therapeutic Strategy for treatment of VL in drug resistant regions.- 6. Need for combination therapy to control kala-azar in South Asia.- Section 3: Diagnostic Strategy Enhancing Kala-azar Elimination Program.- 7. Challenges to visceral leishmaniasis diagnosis in the Indian sub-continent.- 8. Potentiality of urinary tests to kala-azar disease management.- 9. Use of LAMP as a practical field tool for diagnosis of Kala-azar.- Section 4: PKDL and its Implications in Eliminating Kala-azar.- 10. Polymorphism of kala azar in South Asia.- 11. Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL): Facing the challenge for eliminating kala-azar from South Asia.- Section 5: New challenges confronting Kala azar Elimination Programme and their possible solutions.- 12. Climate change and kala-azar.- 13. Role of policy makers in achieving the target for kala azar elimination in South Asia – the Bangladesh experience

This book focused on visceral leishmaniasis, life-threatening NTDs, in detail for the first time during these 10 years

Experts’ vision and comments will guide the physician’s daily practice New therapeutic regimen was introduced by expert physicians

New PCR-related approach suitable to sentinel area was detailed

No-invasive diagnostic approach of disease activity suitable to sentinel area and those potentialities were detailed