Deadly disease resurfaces in Uttar Pradesh after 20 years, people on high alert

New Delhi: An unusual case of Kala Azar has emerged in Lucknow’s Triveni Nagar area, marking the first isolated instance of this disease in town. The patient, a 17-year-old boy, has no go backwards and forwards history to regions where the disease is in most cases found, almost like parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states like Bihar and West Bengal. For over a month, he experienced recurring low-grade fevers and chronic fatigue.

A joint team from the World Health Organization and the non-profit organization PATH is supporting the state health department in carrying out mitigation and management efforts. Dr. AK Chaudhari, Joint Director of the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme, provided further small print, became quoted as saying by Times Of India,“the case may be first of its kind in town; on the opposite hand the actual fact is that sporadic cases of Kala Azar may surface from any place. The case became reported by Era’s Medical College after a confirmatory lab report and containment measures as per protocol have been launched.”

Consistent with data from the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme, six districts in Uttar Pradesh—Kushinagar, Ballia, Deoria, Ghazipur, Bhadohi, and Varanasi—were historically endemic for Kala-Azar, while sporadic cases have been reported from 17 other districts. Between January and October 2024, the state recorded 11 cases of the disease. Since 2019, Kala-Azar has been officially eliminated as a public health problem in Uttar Pradesh, though occasional cases still emerge.

Kala-Azar, also referred to as Visceral Leishmaniasis, is a parasitic disease thanks to Leishmania parasites. It truly is miles transmitted at some stage in the bite of infected sandflies and will be fatal if left untreated. It truly is miles in most cases present in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of India, Bangladesh, and East Africa. Various the common symptoms of the disease are.

• Prolonged Fever: Persistent fever lasting for a couple of weeks, often with an irregular pattern.
• Weight Loss: Significant and unexplained weight-loss, once in it slow progressing abruptly.
• Enlarged Spleen and Liver: Swelling of the spleen (splenomegaly) and liver (hepatomegaly), causing discomfort and fullness within the abdomen.
• Fatigue and Weakness: Severe tiredness and lethargy, impacting the flexibleness to perform every day activities.
• Anemia: Reduction in red blood cells, resulting in pallor (pale skin), shortness of breath, and weakness.