Kala Azar In West Bengal: 65 Cases Of Black Fever Reported From 11 Districts

Districts that registered a high number of Kala Azar or Black Fever cases include Darjeeling, Malda, Uttar And Dakshin Dinajpur and Kalimpong.

Representative Photo: Black fever was uprooted from West Bengal but a recent survey led to the detection of these 65 cases in 11 districts of the state.

Source : PTI

Kolkata: In the last few weeks, 65 cases of black fever, also known as ‘Kala Azar’, are learnt to have been reported from eleven districts of West Bengal, mainly in the northern part of the state, news agency PTI reported, quoting a senior official of the state’s health department. 

According to the official, who shared the details citing results of state-administered surveillance, black fever was uprooted from West Bengal but a recent survey led to the detection of these 65 cases in 11 districts of the state.

Kolkata has not reported any case of black fever so far, the report said.

The official told PTI the state should be able to handle the cases and any spread of the disease.

The districts that registered a high number of cases include Darjeeling, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur and Kalimpong. The districts of Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, and  Murshidabad also reported a few cases, which seem to have been caused by transmission through sand flies infected with the parasite Leishmania donovani.

The health official told PTI that it was found that black fever was mostly found in people who had spent a considerable amount of time in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. He added that the process of observation will continue with more surveillance now.

Quoting a top bureaucrat at the state secretariat, the report said the government has decided to provide free treatment to all patients diagnosed with the disease.

The official said: "Even if the infection is detected in a private laboratory or hospital, the doctor should immediately bring the matter to the attention of the district health officer. All the expenses of treatment along with meals will be borne by the state health department. The district chief health officer will monitor the whole process."

(With Agency Inputs)