Characteristics of Patients Visiting Suruya Kanta Kala-Azar Research Center in Mymensingh, Bangladesh; Data from a Patient Registry System

Abstract

Mymensingh district is the most affected area of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Bangladesh . Surya Kanta Kala-azar Research Center (SKKRC) was established in 2012 to provide care for patients with VL and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL ) and to advance research on associated conditions. We also started a patient registry system to provide short- and long-term follow up for patients given diagnoses of and treated for VL. This chapter demonstrates the baseline characteristics of patients with VL receiving treatment in SKKRC for the first year, from 1st April 2013 to 31st March 2014. We registered 181 patients, consisting of 68 patients with incipient VL and 113 patients with non-incipient VL. Seasonality (more cases in winter and fewer in summer) was observed, mainly for incipient VL. Compared with those with incipient VL, patients with non-incipient VL were more likely to have a family history of PKDL and splenomegaly at physical examination. During the study period, most patients were treated by liposomal amphotericin B (5 mg/day × 3 days). In conclusion, our patient registry system has been successfully established and we will be able to examine the incidence, associated factors, and short- and long-term outcomes of VL treated in SKKRC.