A Case Report of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Punjab, India

Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease, has been endemic in India since ancient times 1, 2 . At present, it is a serious public health problem in Indian subcontinent, especially in state of Bihar. It is caused by obligate intracellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania and is responsible for a broad spectrum of clinical syndromes: Cutaneous lieshmaniasis (CL), Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and Mucocutaneousleishmaniasis (ML). VL, locally known as kala-azar in India, is the most aggressive form and if undervalued is fatal. Here we describe an imported case of visceral leishmaniasisreported in the State of Punjab which is non-endemic for the disease. The importance of the case lies in the fact that, a case of Visceral Leishmaniasis has been reported after a gap of 4 years in the State.