Visceral leishmaniasis: what are the needs for diagnosis, treatment and control?

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a systemic protozoan disease that is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. Poor and neglected populations in East Africa and the Indian subcontinent are particularly affected. Early and accurate diagnosis and treatment remain key components of VL control. In addition...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature reviews. Microbiology 2007-11, Vol.5 (11), p.S7-S16
Main Authors: Chappuis, Francois, Sundar, Shyam, Hailu, Asrat, Ghalib, Hashim, Rijal, Suman, Peeling, Rosanna W, Alvar, Jorge, Boelaert, Marleen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Care and treatment
Causes of
Diagnosis
Kala-azar
Prevention
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Summary:Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a systemic protozoan disease that is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. Poor and neglected populations in East Africa and the Indian subcontinent are particularly affected. Early and accurate diagnosis and treatment remain key components of VL control. In addition to improved diagnostic tests, accurate and simple tests are needed to identify treatment failures. Miltefosine, paromomycin and liposomal amphotericin B are gradually replacing pentavalent antimonials and conventional amphotericin B as the preferred treatments in some regions, but in other areas these drugs are still being evaluated in both mono--and combination therapies. New diagnostic tools and new treatment strategies will only have an impact if they are made widely available to patients.
ISSN:1740-1526
1740-1534
DOI:10.1038/nrmicro1748z