Progress in the treatment of a neglected infectious disease: visceral leishmaniasis. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) is a disseminated intracellular protozoal infection. Most cases (90%) occur in the rural regions of five countries: India, Sudan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Brazil. As with other infectious diseases embedded in high-level poverty, developing and/or delivering new treatments for visceral leishmaniasis had been painfully slow or nonexistent. However, despite persistent unresolved obstacles (e.g., drug affordability), renewed interest in visceral leishmaniasis and numerous successful treatment trials have combined to turn a therapeutic corner in the past 5 years, yielding new alternatives to conventional pentavalent antimony. Advances include the use of low-cost generic pentavalent antimony, rediscovery of amphotericin B, short-course regimens via lipid formulations of amphotericin B, retesting injectible paromyomycin and, of clear-cut importance, identifying miltefosine (Impavido, Zentaris) as the first effective oral therapy for this neglected disease.

publication date

  • April 1, 2004

Research

keywords

  • Antiprotozoal Agents
  • Leishmaniasis, Visceral
  • Phosphorylcholine

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 2942620631

PubMed ID

  • 15482193

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 2

issue

  • 2