A Killing Disease Epidemic among Displaced Sudanese Population Identified as Visceral Leishmaniasis

Asymptomatic Leishmania chagasi Infection in Relatives and Neighbors of Patients with Visceral Leishmaniasis

“…Epidemiological studies performed in areas of L. chagasi transmission have shown that VL occurs predominantly in children (Guedes et al 1974, Wijers & Killu 1984, Navin et al 1985, Jahn et al 1986, Badaró et al 1986b, Corredor et al 1989, Beer et al 1991, Evans et al 1992. In the present study performed in a recent area of L. chagasi transmission we observed that the disease was more frequent in adults than in children and that the adult population was also more infected than the children (P=0.04).…”

Prevalence of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and Malaria Co Infection among Patients Infected with Visceral Leishmaniasis in Gedarif, Eastern Sudan

“…In contrast Singh et al, in India reported VL/HBV and VL/HCV co-infection as13.2% and 20.6% respectively. The higher prevalence rate of HCV in VL positive patients in comparison to the rate for HBV positivity in VL infected patients in India could be attributed to reuse of unsterile needles in health care settings, where hepatitis B and C viral infections were found to be common among those who shared use of unsterile injection needles [27]. The VL/ Malaria co-infection rate described in the present study (9.3%) indicating alarming situation among VL positive patients living in areas where both diseases are endemic.…”

Operational validation of the direct agglutination test for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.

“…El Harith and others initially proposed a reciprocal titer of a 1: 3,200 serum dilution as the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity. 5 This value was subsequently used in community surveys in Sudan, 15,27 Kenya, 26,30 and Bangladesh, 24 as well as in clinical work in Sudan, 14,25 Ethiopia, 29,31 and Bangladesh. 17 In Somalia, Shiddo and others used a cut-off titer of 1:800 for population screening because it optimized sensitivity and specificity.…”

“…11,13 The occurrence of disastrous VL epidemics in southern Sudan in the late 1980s created a pressing demand for appropriate diagnostic tests. 14 The DAT method was rapidly taken into the field and proved valuable to field workers. 13,[15][16][17] Before officially endorsing the use of the DAT in VL surveillance and control programs, the UNDP/World Bank/World Health Organization Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Disease decided to evaluate the operational validity and reproducibility of this test for VL through a multicenter study in Sudan, Kenya, and Nepal.…”