Kala-azar is also called Leishmaniasis, dum dum fever or white leprosy.
Table of Contents
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Causative agent
Leishmania donovani. Leishmaniasis is described as a poverty-related disease by the WHO.
Transmission
By sandfly (Phlebotomus)
Symptoms And Signs of Kala-azar
- Enlarged spleen and liver
- High fever.
Classification
- Cutaneous leishmaniasis
- Visceral leishmaniasis
- Mucosal leishmaniasis
Cutaneous leishmaniasis
Causative agent
Infection of macrophages in the skin by L. mexicana
Symptoms And Signs
- Papule at the site of the bite
- Lymphadenopathy
- Change of papule to the nodule and ulcerative lesion with a central depression and raised border
- Satellite lesions
- Secondary bacterial infection
Treatment
Medicines
Visceral Leishmaniasis
Causative agent
Infection of macrophages in the reticuloendothelial system by L.donovani.
Symptoms And Signs
- Anaemia
- Fever
- Hepatomegaly
- Hyper gamma-globulin anaemia
- Hypoalbuminemia
- Leukopenia
- Lymphocytosis
- Monocytosis,
- Patients appear grey
- Peripheral lymphadenopathy
- Splenomegaly(big, soft and non-tender)
- Thrombocytopenia
Investigations
- Leishmania or Montenegro test
- Tissue aspirates,
- Biopsy specimen of spleen, liver, bone marrow or lymph node.
Treatment
Medicines
Mucosal Leishmaniasis
Causative agent
Infection of nasopharyngeal mucosa by L. amazonensis
Symptoms And Signs
- Nasopharyngeal mucosa is quite disfiguring.
- Persistent nasal polyps
Treatment
Medicines