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01 / 05
Bangladesh Achieves Milestone by Eliminating Kala-Azar

World Health Organization | Communicable Disease

Bangladesh Achieves Milestone by Eliminating Kala-Azar

“Kala-azar, the most severe form of leishmaniasis, is a life-threatening disease caused by Leishmania spp. parasites transmitted by infected female phlebotomine sandflies. It affects the most disadvantaged rural communities, among whom poverty, poor housing conditions, malnutrition, genetic factors and other infectious diseases are major risk factors. Kala-azar leads to symptoms such as fever, weight loss, spleen and liver enlargement, and, if left untreated, can prove fatal in over 95% of cases.

Bangladesh was successfully validated by WHO based on the fact that the number of reported cases of visceral leishmaniasis was below 1 per 10 000 population in each of the country’s subdistricts for at least 3 consecutive years.”

From World Health Organization.

World Health Organization | Communicable Disease

Visceral Leishmaniasis Drug Enters Phase II Trial in Ethiopia

“Also known as kala-azar, visceral leishmaniasis is the world’s deadliest parasitic killer after malaria.

It causes fever, weight loss, spleen and liver enlargement, and, if not treated, death. Kala-azar is transmitted by the bite of infected sandflies and is endemic in 80 countries, mainly in Eastern Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. One billion people are at risk globally and Eastern Africa has currently the highest number of cases. As for other vector-borne diseases, climate change is changing the epidemiology of leishmaniasis and could lead to its expansion to new areas. An estimated 50,000 to 90,000 new cases occur worldwide annually, and half are children under 15 years of age.

In Africa, the current treatment for visceral leishmaniasis includes painful injections given at hospital daily for 17 days, a treatment that may also present rare but life-threatening side effects, including to the heart, liver, and pancreas. In contrast, the new molecule under study in Ethiopia, called LXE408, is administered in the form of oral pills and is expected to be safer than the current treatment.”

From World Health Organization.

Financial Times | Communicable Disease

EU Approves New Antibiotic to Tackle Rise of Superbugs

“The EU has approved a new antibiotic for serious illnesses such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections, marking a step forward in the drive to combat the growing resistance of “superbugs” to existing drugs.

Emblaveo, marketed in Europe by US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, combines two existing medicines to tackle so-called Gram-negative bacteria that are among the leading drug-resistance threats.”

From Financial Times.

Reuters | Vaccination

Nigeria Becomes First Country to Roll out New Meningitis Vaccine

“Nigeria has become the first country in the world to roll out the “revolutionary” new Men5CV vaccine against meningitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) said…

The new vaccine is reported to protect against the five major strains of the disease that are prevalent in Nigeria, unlike the initial vaccine that works against only one strain, said the WHO.”

From Reuters.

NBC News | Vaccination

Chlamydia Vaccine Shows Promise in Early Trial

“An early-stage clinical trial yielded promising results for a chlamydia vaccine, researchers reported Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 

There is currently no vaccine to protect against the sexually transmitted infection, which is the most common bacterial STI in the United States…

The phase 1 clinical trial, led by researchers in the United Kingdom and Denmark, found that the experimental vaccine was safe and induced an immune response.”

From NBC News.