title: Childhood visceral leishmaniasis in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir: frequency and response to treatment in 61 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the epidemiology and status of resistance to antimonial compounds of paediatric hospital population with visceral leishmaniasis in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children admitted between January to December 1999 in Azad Kashmir Combined Military Hospital Muzaffarabad and diagnosed as Visceral Leishmaniasis by demonstration of Leishmania parasites in bone marrow aspirate were included in the study. Patients received meglumine antimoniate for 21 days. The demographic information and time taken for resolution of fever after initiation of treatment were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During study period out of 3520 paediatric admissions, 61 patients had visceral leishmaniasis. The frequency of disease was 1.73%. Median age of the patients was 18 months. Eighty two percent cases reported during non-winter seasons. Fifty nine (96.7%) patients responded to treatment with antimonial compounds. Median time taken for resolution of fever was 5.7 days. Two of the patients died during the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood visceral leishmaniasis is common in Muzaffarabad and there is no resistance to antimonial compounds.
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion, Rawalpindi, Azad Kashmir Combined Military Hospital, Muzaffarabad.
authors.forename: Chauhdry
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Altaf
authors.forename: Parvez
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Tanveer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: Masood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anwar
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate