by Chowdhury R, Chowdhury V, Faria S, Akter S, Dash AP, Kumar Bhattacharya S, Prosad Maheswary N, Bern C, Akhter S, Alvar J, Kroeger A, Boelaert M, Banu Q. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2019, 13(9): e0007724.
Summary: Visceral leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease, transmitted by the sand fly in the Indian sub-continent. Effective vector control is highly desirable to curtail disease transmission. The authors evaluated the effect of long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets and bed nets impregnated with slow-release insecticide tablet K-O TAB 1-2-3 on visceral leishmaniasis incidence in a highly endemic subdistrict in Bangladesh. Visceral leishmaniasis incidence rate was significantly lower in the cohort that had received insecticide-treated nets (ITN) compared to villages with contemporaneously similar incidence rates that had not. Although some bias due to more intense screen-and-treat activities or other interventions cannot be ruled out, given their feasibility and sustainability, ITNs should be considered for integrated vector control during the maintenance phase of the visceral leishmaniasis elimination programme.
