Clinical features and treatment outcomes of visceral leishmaniasis patients admitted to three centers in Oromia, Ethiopia

Samson  Tekalign; Cherinet  Adera; Margriet den Boer; Hirpha  Miecha; Ashenafi  Zewde; Dagnachew  Mulugeta; Tesfahun  Bishawu; Weyuma Birru; Awoke Lema; Tilahun Sahlu; Fabiana Alves; Marcel Manzi; Kudakwashe Takarinda; Johan van Griensven

doi:10.3855/jidc.11731

Clinical features and treatment outcomes of visceral leishmaniasis patients admitted to three centers in Oromia, Ethiopia

Authors

Samson Tekalign KalaCORE Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Cherinet Adera KalaCORE Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Margriet den Boer KalaCORE-UKaid and MSF, Geneva, Switzerland
Hirpha Miecha Oromia Regional Health Bureau, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ashenafi Zewde AJJDC/NALA Foundation, seconded to Oromia RHB, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Dagnachew Mulugeta World Health Organization, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tesfahun Bishawu Federal Ministry of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Weyuma Birru Negelle General Hospital, Negelle Town, Oromia region, Ethiopia
Awoke Lema Yabello General Hospital, Yabello Town, Oromia region, Ethiopia
Tilahun Sahlu Ginnir General Hospital, Ginnir Town, Oromia region, Ethiopia
Fabiana Alves Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Geneva, Switzerland
Marcel Manzi Medecins Sans Frontieres, Medical department (Operational research), Brussels Operational Centre, Luxembourg
Kudakwashe Takarinda KalaCORE-UKaid and MSF, Geneva, Switzerland
Johan van Griensven KalaCORE Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.11731

Keywords:

Visceral leishmaniasis, treatment, Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: In three health care facilities in the Oromia region, the aim of this study is to report on 1) the number of VL cases registered over time (2013-2018) and 2) the clinical profile, type of treatment used and response to treatment.

Methodology: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among all VL cases admitted with a diagnosis of VL.

Results: A total of 434 VL cases were registered at the three health facilities, but patient files were available for only 188. Most (51.6%) were children and only three presented with VL relapse. 78 (41.5%) of the 188 patients presented within one month of symptom onset. Concurrent severe acute malnutrition (27.1%), tuberculosis (6.4%) and malaria (6.4%) were common. There were only two cases with HIV coinfection. Fourty-three percent were treated with antimonials, 34% with antimonials combined with paromomycin and 23% with AmBisome. Amongst the 188 patients with patient files there were no deaths and one treatment failure. Six months outcome data were however missing for all. Aggregated data from the 434 VL cases reported three deaths, two treatment failures and one relapse.

Conclusions: Children were most commonly affected, suggesting long-term endemicity. While short-term outcomes are encouraging, long-term follow-up data are required.

Downloads

Published

2020-06-30

How to Cite

Tekalign S, Adera C, den Boer M, Miecha H, Zewde A, Mulugeta D, Bishawu T, Birru W, Lema A, Sahlu T, Alves F, Manzi M, Takarinda K, van Griensven J (2020) Clinical features and treatment outcomes of visceral leishmaniasis patients admitted to three centers in Oromia, Ethiopia. J Infect Dev Ctries 14:42S-47S. doi: 10.3855/jidc.11731

Download Citation

Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 06.1: June 2020 -- SUPPLEMENT

Section

The Ethiopian SORT IT Course

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).