Sodium stibogluconate-sensitive visceral leishmaniasis in the non-endemic hilly region of Uttarakhand, India.
Although visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in various parts of India, mainly Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa, and neighbouring countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh, it is rarely reported from the hilly areas of India. We report on nine male VL cases from the non-endemic Garhwal region of Uttarakhand who were treated successfully with sodium stibogluconate. We conclude that sodium stibogluconate-sensitive VL is emerging in this region and that urgent and effective vector control measures may be warranted to prevent the disease from becoming a major health problem and to ensure that resistance to sodium stibogluconate does not emerge.
Verma
S K
SK
Department of Medicine, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Ram Nagar, Jolly Grant, P.O. Doiwala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248140, India. skverma177@gmail.com
Ahmad
Sohaib
S
Shirazi
Nadia
N
Kusum
Anuradha
A
Kaushik
R M
RM
Barthwal
S P
SP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate