CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Global and National Status: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Kala-azar is the second deadliest parasitic disease in the world, and as of November, 2022, about 89% of global cases are reported from eight countries: Brazil, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.

Detailed explanation-2: -Kala Azar or Black fever disease is endemic to Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, with an estimated 165.4 million people at its risk.

Detailed explanation-3: -The black fever Kala-azar was first discovered in Bengal (encompassing today’s Bangladesh and parts of India, including, during the colonial era, Bihar), where it received its name, which means “black fever” in Hindi. It causes fever, weight loss, swelling of the spleen and liver, and anaemia.

Detailed explanation-4: -Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar (Hindi: kālā āzār, “black sickness") or “black fever", is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and, without proper diagnosis and treatment, is associated with high fatality. Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania.