Visceral leishmaniasis in non‐endemic rural hilly region of Nepal: A case report

Belbase, Kapil; Shah, Sangam; Dahal, Krishna; Tiwari, Sansar Babu; Neupane, Santosh

doi:10.1002/ccr3.5817

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…There have been reports of VL cases from new focal hilly districts since 2010. 9 – 11 Some of the studies performed epidemiological, serological, and entomological investigations and confirmed the indigenous transmission of VL in many new foci districts. 7 , 12 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Epidemiological, Serological, and Entomological Investigation of New Visceral Leishmaniasis Foci in Nepal

Joshi,

Banjara,

Das

et al. 2024

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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The aim of this study was to explore epidemiological, serological, entomological, and social aspects of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in new foci in Nepal. The study was conducted in 11 villages of five districts that had been previously free of VL but that reported new cases between 2019 and 2021. We screened 1,288 inhabitants using rK39 tests and investigated the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 12 recent VL cases. A total of 182 community members were interviewed about knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding VL. They then underwent an awareness training; 40 of them had a second interview at 6 months to assess the training impact. Vector surveys were conducted in six houses per village to assess sandfly density and infection rates. The prevalence of VL infection was 0.5% and 3.2% among screened populations in Dolpa and Kavre districts, respectively, while the other districts had no rK39-positive cases. No association between travel history and VL infection was found. Phlebotomus argentipes sandflies were collected in three districts at high altitudes (from 1,084 to 4,450 m). None of the sandflies captured had Leishmania donovani DNA. People in new foci were not aware of VL symptoms, vectors, or preventive measures. The training significantly improved their knowledge and practice in seeking medical care in case of illness. The epidemiological, serological, and entomological investigations suggest indigenous focal transmission of VL. An integrated package of strategic interventions should be implemented by the national VL elimination program in districts with new VL foci.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Epidemiological, Serological, and Entomological Investigation of New Visceral Leishmaniasis Foci in Nepal

Joshi,

Banjara,

Das

et al. 2024

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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“…Moreover, the ratio of secreted IFN-γ to IL-10 was higher in the L. donovani infected macrophages treated with rWnt5A as opposed to the corresponding controls ( Figure 1C ). The gating strategy for ROS+ RAW264.7 macrophages is illustrated in Figure 1D . In view of the anti-parasitic effects of IFN-γ and the pro-parasitic effects of IL-10 (23–25), this observation reinforced the antagonistic effect of Wnt5A toward L. donovani infection.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or Kala-azar, caused by infection with the parasite L. donovani turns out fatal if not appropriately treated. While several other drugs such as Amphotericin B and Miltefosine are now used in addition to the traditional antimony drugs to treat VL, the disease still persists in isolated pockets, especially in the rural areas (1)(2)(3). Although not endemic, refractory disease arising from infection with the drug resistant L. donovani strains remains a formidable challenge (4)(5)(6).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Therapeutic potential of rWnt5A in curbingLeishmania donovaniinfection

Maity

Sen

2022

Preprint

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In this study, we demonstrated that administration of recombinant Wnt5A (rWnt5A) to Leishmania donovani (L. donovani) infected RAW 264.7 macrophages cause a significant reduction of infection that is associated with an increase in both cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and secreted IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio. Furthermore, rWnt5A administration appreciably blocks the progression of L. donovani infection established in a mouse model. This line of defense in vivo is associated with an elevation in immune cell associated ROS, and an activated T cell profile marked by increased IFN-γ and Granzyme B expression. As a corollary, infection associated disruption of splenic white pulp organization is markedly restrained. In summary, this study unveils the therapeutic potential of rWnt5A in curbing L. donovani infection and the progression of experimental visceral leishmaniasis through immune cell signaling. Additionally, it opens up new avenues of investigation into the use of rWnt5A as a therapeutic agent for restraining progression of the drug resistant refractory disease.

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