Challenges in the Treatment of Co-infection of Visceral Leishmaniasis and Hepatitis B/C Viruses
Roshan Kamal Topno *
Department of Epidemiology, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, India.
Maneesh Kumar
Department of Virology, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, India.
Major Madhukar
Department of Clinical Medicine, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, India.
Vidya Nand Rabi Das
Department of Clinical Medicine, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, India.
Rishikesh Kumar
Department of Clinical Medicine, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, India.
Kanhaiya Agrawal
Department of Clinical Medicine, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, India.
Niyamat Ali Siddiqui
Department of Bio-Statistics, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, India.
Subhash Kumar
Central Diagnostic Laboratory, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, India.
Krishna Pandey
Department of Clinical Medicine, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
There is a significant research gap in India due to incomplete investigation of seroprevalence of co-infection with visceral leishmaniasis (VL), hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV). This study attempts to fill this gap by providing an in-depth analysis of the prevalence and consequences of these co-infections. The study of 32 VL patients revealed that 28 (8.88%) tested positive for HBV, 1 (0.317%) for HCV and 3 (0.95%) for both HBV and HCV. These results highlight how difficult it is to treat people with two diseases at the same time. An example of how co-infection makes treatment much more difficult is the fact that a patient with both VL and HBV required six courses of anti-leishmaniasis medication. The study shows how important it is for VL patients to be tested regularly for HBV and HCV to improve treatment response and support India's plan to get rid of kala-azar. Accurate identification of co-infections is necessary to reduce the overall burden of the disease and develop effective treatment regimens. Systematic testing of VL patients for HBV and HCV not only helps in controlling and perhaps even eliminating kala-azar, but also makes it easier to treat each patient as an individual, improving their health. In areas where viral hepatitis is prevalent, this strategy is particularly important as these diseases represent a double burden on public health. Implementing integrated treatment regimens and routine screening can reduce the impact of co-infection and advance the public health goal of kala-azar elimination. To improve patient outcomes and advance public health goals, the results of this study strongly support the integration of comprehensive screening programs into existing healthcare systems to improve the treatment of VL patients.
Keywords: Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), rK-39