Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 12:

More cases of kala-azar have come to light due to the improved and good detection system at the community level, said a government official.

"The communities have become aware and the identification of the cases has improved, which is why there are now more reported cases of kala-azar," said Dr Mahendra Bahadur Bista, director, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division of the Department of Health.

First recorded in 1980, the disease has claimed 483 lives and infected 21,612 people till date. "We have been providing free oral drugs to the infected people through the B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan," said Dr Bista.

Kala-azar is a parasitic disease that spreads through the bite of sand fly. Over five million people live in affected areas. Most of the 13 affected districts border the Indian state of Bihar.

On average, 1,500 cases are reported yearly.

Kala-azar can cause skin disease and skin lesions that resemble coetaneous tuberculosis, syphilis, leprosy, skin cancer and fungus infections.

Systemic infection in children usually begins suddenly with symptoms that includevomiting, diarrhoea, fever and cough. In adults, fever for two weeks to two months is accompanied by non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite.

The parasites damage the immune system by decreasing the numbers of disease-fighting cells, so death usually results from infections.

Preventing sand fly bites is the most effective form of protection from the disease.

The government has goals to control kala-azar by the year 2015 by reducing cases below one

per 100,000 people and set its objectives to reduce morbidity due to kala-azar by 10 per cent every year.