| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2012 | Volume
: 44
| Issue : 4 | Page : 500-503 |
Efficacy of oral miltefosine in visceral leishmaniasis in rural West Bengal, India
Pradyumna Patra1, Subhasish K Guha2, Ardhendu Kumar Maji3, Pabitra Saha3, Swagata Ganguly3, Abhiram Chakraborty4, Pratip K Kundu3, Sachchidananda Sarker5, Krishnangshu Ray6
1 Canning Sub Divisional Hospital, Canning, South 24 Parganas; West Bengal, India
2 Department of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, 108, C. R. Avenue, Kolkata - 700073; West Bengal, India
3 Department of Microbiology, Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, 108, C. R. Avenue, Kolkata - 700073; West Bengal, India
4 Department of Radiology, Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, 108, C. R. Avenue, Kolkata - 700073; West Bengal, India
5 Chief Medical Officer of Health, South 24-Parganas, West Bengal, India
6 Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, 108, C. R. Avenue, Kolkata - 700073; West Bengal, India
Correspondence Address:
Ardhendu Kumar Maji
Department of Microbiology, Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, 108, C. R. Avenue, Kolkata - 700073; West Bengal
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0253-7613.99326
Context: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as Kala-azar (KA) is a public health problem of tropical and subtropical countries, which infects about 12 million people annually, out of which about 1.5 million are new cases. India contributes a major share of the global burden of VL. For many years leishmaniasis has been treated with pentavalent antimonials. Antimony resistance is a problem in India and in other different geographic areas of the world. Amphotericin B deoxycholate and pentamidine isethionate are effective by parenteral administration and associated with toxicities. The quest for an effective, orally administered, non-toxic and less expensive alternative resulted in the identification of miltefosine (hexadecylphosphocholine). In India, therapeutic efficacy of miltefosine in VL was assessed by many groups of scientists, mainly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. No such data is available from West Bengal.
Aims: The present study was designed to observe the efficacy of miltefosine in VL in rural West Bengal.
Materials and Methods: A total of 71 parasitologically proven VL patients participated in the study who received miltefosine in accordance with the National Vector Born Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) of India and were followed up for the following one year.
Results: The overall efficacy of the drug was 93% and no significant adverse side effects were observed during the study period.
Conclusions: The study concludes that miltefosine is effective, well tolerated, and easily administrable drug in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis at the field levels.
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