WHAT ARE SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF KALA-AZAR?

WHAT ARE SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF KALA-AZAR?

• Recurrent fever intermittent or remittent with often double rise
• loss of appetite, pallor and weight loss with progressive emaciation weekness
• 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

Anaemia with emaciation and gross splenomegaly produces a typical appearance of the patients