Scientists discover new way to identify symptoms of Kala Azar

After three decades of hard work, the scientists at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) have discovered a new "reliable and cost-effective" way to identify asymptomatic Kala Azar (leishmaniasis) patients.

Visceral leishmaniasis is fatal and can cause death. It can also cause severe bleeding, infection, and facial disfigurement.

People living in India, Ethiopia, Brazil, Sudan, and Bangladesh are vulnerable to it. The disease spreads easily as it remains asymptomatic in the early stage, and detecting it has so far been costly and very complex.

However, the new research will make it much easier.

This internationally acclaimed research by Indian scientists has been published in the latest issue of 'Clinical and Translational Immunology' research journal.

In India, Kala Azar is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected 'Phlebotomus argentipes' sandfly.

The size of these sandflies are a quarter of that of an average mosquito. Their body length is from 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm.

Adult sandflies are hairy, with straight wings that are small and large in proportion. It takes birth from an egg and the larva grows into an adult through the stage of the pupa. This entire cycle takes about a month.

However, its development depends on temperature and other geographical conditions. Relative humidity, hot temperature, high soil moisture and dense tree plants are beneficial for these sandflies.

According to BHU scientist Dr Rajeev Kumar, the research team carried out transcriptomic study on blood samples collected from three groups of persons (asymptomatic Kala Azar patients, Kala Azar patients and healthy individuals) living in the area of influence of Kala Azar, and identified Amphiregulin - a biomarker - that helps in identifying asymptomatic individuals.