Introduction: Kala-azar continued to be an important public health problem in India. It is endemic in the north Bihar. Kala-azar is a parasitic infection caused by L. Donovani. The infection is transmitted by the bite of infected femle sand fly Phlebotomus argentipes. Leishmania donovani infects all age groups of people. To explore the potential role of domestic animals in transmission, we performed a case-control study in an area of active kala-azar transmission in the East Champaran district, Bihar.
Objective: To find out the socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors of the kala-azar and to assess the role of domestic animal towards kala-azar in rural area of East Champaran, Bihar.
Methods: A case-control study was conducted to find socio-demographic characteristics and the role of domestic animal towards kala-azar in rural area of East Champaran district. A total of 139 Kala-azar cases and 139 healthy controls selected from the neighbourhoods of cases.
Results: Majority of the study population belongs to age group 6-15 year i.e. 37.4% in which cases were 39.6% and controls were 35.3%. The male population were more than female in the case (54%). Presence of granary inside the house, vegetation, banana tree and presence of domestic animal near the house were statistically significant.
Conclusion: Proper implementation of existing health awareness programmes could help people in the rural areas to modify their behavioural pattern by keeping granary outside from their living rooms, minimising vegetation around the houses and separate shelter of domestic animals that supports sand flies.
Impact Factor
2017: 6.614
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