Black fever (Karimbani) identified in South Kerala

A new fever, named Black fever also known as Visceral leishmaniasis, Dumdum fever, Kala Azar and Karimbani has been identified in Kollam District. A patient with symptoms of Black fever has been admitted in Trivandrum Medical College.

Kala-azar is a slow progressing indigenous disease caused by a protozoan parasite of genus Leishmania. The parasite primarily infects reticuloendothelial system and may be found in abundance in bone marrow, spleen and liver.

Signs & Symptoms 
Recurrent fever intermittent or remittent with often double rise
loss of appetite, pallor and weight loss with progressive emaciation
weakness
Splenomegaly – spleen enlarges rapidly to massive enlargement, usually soft and nontender
Liver – enlargement not to the extent of spleen, soft, smooth surface, sharp edge
Lymphadenopathy – not very common in India
Skin – dry, thin and scaly and hair may be lost. Light coloured persons show grayish discolouration of the skin of hands, feet, abdomen and face which gives the Indian name Kala-azar meaning “Black fever”
Anaemia – develops rapidly

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