Kala azar

• Recent work by the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) has shown the potential of the quinoline derivatives to treat drug-resistant leishmaniasis or kala-azar (black fever).
• The quinoline derivative is a potent inhibitor of enzyme topoisomerase 1, which is essential for maintenance of DNA architecture in the parasites.
• Current annual estimates of kala-azar are about 1,00,000, with more than 95% of cases reported to WHO from India and other tropical countries.

About Kala azar

• Kala azar or leishmaniases is one of the most dangerous neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) which is endemic in 76 countries, with approximately 200 million people at risk of infection.
• According to World Health Organization (WHO), Leishmania parasites are transmitted through the bites of infected female phlebotomine sandflies, which feed on blood to produce eggs.
• Some 70 animal species, including humans, have been found as natural reservoir hosts of Leishmania parasites.
• There are 3 main forms of leishmaniases – visceral (also known as kala-azar, which is and the most serious form of the disease), cutaneous (the most common where skin is affected), and mucocutaneous.
• In India, the four States endemic for kala-azar are: Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.