Towards a Sustainable Vector-Control Strategy in the Post Kala-Azar Elimination Era

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a potentially deadly parasitic disease. In the Indian sub-continent, VL is caused by and transmitted the bite of an infected female sand fly, the only competent vector species in the region. The highest disease burden is in the northern part of the Indian sub-continent...

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Published in:	Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology Vol. 11; p. 641632
Main Authors:	Garlapati, Rajesh, Iniguez, Eva, Serafim, Tiago D, Mishra, Prabhas K, Rooj, Basab, Sinha, Bikas, Valenzuela, Jesus G, Srikantiah, Sridhar, Bern, Caryn, Kamhawi, Shaden
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 09-03-2021
Subjects:	Bihar Cellular and Infection Microbiology India Kala-azar Phlebotomus argentipes vector control visceral leishmaniasis Bihar Kala-azar Phlebotomus argentipes elimination visceral leishmaniasis vector control India
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Summary:	Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a potentially deadly parasitic disease. In the Indian sub-continent, VL is caused by and transmitted the bite of an infected female sand fly, the only competent vector species in the region. The highest disease burden is in the northern part of the Indian sub-continent, especially in the state of Bihar. India, Bangladesh, and Nepal embarked on an initiative, coordinated by World Health Organization, to eliminate VL as a public health problem by the year 2020. The main goal is to reduce VL incidence below one case per 10,000 people through early case-detection, prompt diagnosis and treatment, and reduction of transmission using vector control measures. Indoor residual spraying, a major pillar of the elimination program, is the only vector control strategy used by the government of India. Though India is close to its VL elimination target, important aspects of vector bionomics and sand fly transmission dynamics are yet to be determined. To achieve sustained elimination and to prevent a resurgence of VL, knowledge gaps in vector biology and behavior, and the constraints they may pose to current vector control methods, need to be addressed. Herein, we discuss the successes and failures of previous and current vector-control strategies implemented to combat kala-azar in Bihar, India, and identify gaps in our understanding of vector transmission towards development of innovative tools to ensure sustained vector control in the post-elimination period.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-3 content type line 23 ObjectType-Review-2 Edited by: Om Prakash Singh, Banaras Hindu University, India This article was submitted to Parasite and Host, a section of the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology Reviewed by: Epco Hasker, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Belgium; W. Robert Shaw, Harvard University, United States These authors have contributed equally to this work
ISSN:	2235-2988 2235-2988
DOI:	10.3389/fcimb.2021.641632