Q- Which pathogen causes kala azar in man?
Answer- Leishmania donovani is the pathogen that causes kala-azar in man. It is a kind of unicellular eukaryote that has a well-defined nucleus and all the multi-layered cell organelles.
Class 9th Imp. Questions
- Name the vector of Japanese encephalitis and malaria.
- Name two types of Immune cells of the body.
- Define Vaccinotherapy.
In the above question, you have asked about which pathogen causes kala azar in man. So, we had provided the answer just beneath it that is Leishmania donovani.
Now, the paragraph given below is about Leishmania donovani. So, it’s only for your extra knowledge. If you wish to read it so you can.
Leishmania donovani is a kind of unicellular eukaryote that has a definite nucleus and all the other multi-layered cell organelles. Leishmania donovani is a species of intracellular parasite that belongs to the genus Leishmania. It is a group of haemoflagellate kinetoplastids. Leishmania donovani is a kind of human blood parasite that is responsible for visceral Leishmaniasis. This pathogen after entering the human body started to affect the mononuclear phagocyte system that includes organs such as the spleen, liver, bone marrow, etc.
The species of sandfly belonging to the genus phlebotomus transmit this infection from one person to another. The Leishmania donovani was first time discovered by two British medical officers Charles Donovan in Madras, India, and William Boog Leishman in Netley, England. This pathogen was named after the names of these two medical officers.
Kala-azar is a disease that has certain symptoms. It is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world. This disease is also known as visceral leishmaniasis.
kala-azar is one of the most dangerous neglected tropical diseases just like sleeping sickness and Chagas disease. In the past time, Kala-azar caused a huge pandemic in 76 countries with approximately 200 million people at risk of infection.
The parasite of Kala-azar spread to humans through the bite of infected female sand flies. As the pathogen of Kala-azar attacks the immune system of the human, so this makes this disease very dangerous and always fatal if not treated.
Every year there are about 200,000 to 400,000 new cases in the world. In India, Leishmania donovani is the only parasite causing this disease. There is another condition of kala-azar which is called post-Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis and PKDL in short form. Post-Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis is a condition when Leishmania donovani (pathogen causing kala-azar) invaded skin cells and started developing there and manifests as dermal leisions.
Symptoms of kala azar
There are certain symptoms of kala-azar and we ca we can easily notice the symptoms of kala-azar in anyone. Initially, Leishmania parasites cause skin sores or ulcers at the site of the bite. Kala-azar presents after two to eight months with more symptoms including prolonged weakness and fever.
There is a very effective diagnostic test for leishmaniasis that is invasive as well as potentially dangerous, where tissue samples are required from the spleen, lymph nodes, or bone marrow of humans. These tests require lab facilities and many specialists.
The most common method of diagnosing kala-azar disease is dipstick testing. However, this method of diagnosing kala-azar is highly problematic.
This dipstick testing diagnosis only establishes whether a patient is immune to kala-azar. So, if the parasite is present in the patient’s body then it would appear that the patient has the disease. Otherwise, there will not be everything normal in the test.
Which pathogen causes kala azar in man
The name of the pathogen that causes kala-azar in man is Leishmania donovani. This is the only pathogen that causes kala azar disease in humans. This name is already told to you by us in the above answer of which pathogen causes kala azar in man? So it is not enough necessary to talk about this topic anymore. In case you want to read about which pathogen causes kala azar in man then you should refer to the answer given at the top of this post. Now, We are going to get started with the causes of kala-azar disease.
Causes of Kala azar
Kala-azar is caused by bites from female phlebotomine sandflies which work as the vector (or transmitter) of the leishmania parasite.
The sand flies feed on animals and humans for blood, which they need for developing their eggs.
If blood containing leishmania parasites is drawn from an animal or human, the next person to receive a bite will then become infected and develop leishmaniasis. After a few months of this initial infection, the disease can progress into a more severe form, called visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar.
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