Organ leishmaniasis

Is organ leishmaniasis worse than usual anywhere?

Too little to compare in any country this week.

Pakistan – Too few weeks to compare

What is organ leishmaniasis?

Kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis) is the most serious kind of leishmaniasis. A tiny parasite carried by sandflies attacks organs inside the body such as the spleen and liver.

Signs: Fever that comes and goes, weight loss, a swollen belly from a big spleen and liver, and weakness from low blood (anaemia).
How it spreads: Through the bite of an infected female sandfly. Sandflies pick up the parasite from infected people or animals.
How to protect yourself: Sleep under insecticide-treated nets, spray insecticide in homes, and protect your skin from sandfly bites. Early treatment of sick people also helps stop it spreading.
Get medical help: Get medical care at once for a long-lasting fever with weight loss or a swollen belly. Without treatment kala-azar is almost always deadly, but it can be cured.

In Dooram's words, from the World Health Organization. Source: WHO fact sheet: Leishmaniasis, read 8 October 2026. General information, not medical advice.

What "usual" means.

Sources. Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division, National Institutes of Health, Islamabad, weekly report.