CUTTACK: A case of kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis) has been detected in Belagochhia village in the Barang block of Cuttack district prompting health officials to increase surveillance in the area. Though the patient, a 30-year-old man from the village has recovered after treatment in a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, health officials are keeping a strict watch on the village. A health team has rushed to the village.
The matter came to the fore following a report submitted by an epidemiologist to chief district medical officer Satyabrat Chhotray. Chhotray said the man was suffering from post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) with swelling on the skin and multiple nodular lesions on the face, trunk and extremities for which he was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the state capital.
"A team of health officials has rushed to the village to take stock of the situation. The patient has a travel history to kala-azar endemic states like Jharkhand and Bihar. He has been kept isolated from his family members, and samples of soil from the locality have been collected and sent to a laboratory for testing," said the CDMO.
He said there is no need to panic as the patient is not suffering from fever. Necessary steps will be taken after the test report is received.