 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
PAN4ND
Neglected Diseases - Visceral Leishmaniasis
Neglected Diseases - Visceral Leishmaniasis
Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL)
P
A
N
4
N
D
A
N
4
N
D
VL is one of three forms of leishmaniasis, which affects over 12 million people and puts
over 350 million people at risk in 88 countries. Transmitted by the sandfly, the
protozoan parasite Leishmania causes three different forms of disease, of which
visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe.
Fatal if left untreated, VL (also known as black sickness or kala-azar in India) affects
patients who mostly live in areas where access to health care is minimal. VL is
characterized by prolonged fever, enlarged spleen and liver, substantial weight loss,
progressive anemia, and is complicated by co-infection with other infectious diseases,
such as HIV or malaria.
Current first-line treatment options include pentavalent antimonials, which were first
used as treatments in 1940s. However, there are increasing concerns about toxicity,
their difficulty of use, as they require the patient to be hospitalized for the 28-day
treatment period and the potential emergence of parasitic resistance (as now seen on
the Indian subcontinent). Although very effective, miltefosine, the one of two drugs
developed for VL in this millenium, is prohibitively expensive and therefore has limited
use. Paromomycin has been recently registered by IOWH in India and is currently
being studied by DNDi for use in Africa.
For VL, which infects over 500,000 a year, a safe, affordable, oral short-course
(10 days) drug effective for all forms of VL is needed.
External Links
over 350 million people at risk in 88 countries. Transmitted by the sandfly, the
protozoan parasite Leishmania causes three different forms of disease, of which
visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe.
Fatal if left untreated, VL (also known as black sickness or kala-azar in India) affects
patients who mostly live in areas where access to health care is minimal. VL is
characterized by prolonged fever, enlarged spleen and liver, substantial weight loss,
progressive anemia, and is complicated by co-infection with other infectious diseases,
such as HIV or malaria.
Current first-line treatment options include pentavalent antimonials, which were first
used as treatments in 1940s. However, there are increasing concerns about toxicity,
their difficulty of use, as they require the patient to be hospitalized for the 28-day
treatment period and the potential emergence of parasitic resistance (as now seen on
the Indian subcontinent). Although very effective, miltefosine, the one of two drugs
developed for VL in this millenium, is prohibitively expensive and therefore has limited
use. Paromomycin has been recently registered by IOWH in India and is currently
being studied by DNDi for use in Africa.
For VL, which infects over 500,000 a year, a safe, affordable, oral short-course
(10 days) drug effective for all forms of VL is needed.
External Links