Abstract. Definition: Blackwater fever is a clinical entity characterized by acute intravascular hemolysis classically occuring after the re-introduction of quinine in long-term residents in Plasmodium falciparum endemic areas and repeatedly using the product.
Blackwater fever is a complication of malaria infection in which red blood cells burst in the bloodstream (hemolysis), releasing hemoglobin directly into the blood vessels and into the urine, frequently leading to kidney failure.
It occurs almost exclusively with infection from the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Symptoms of blackwater fever include a rapid pulse, high fever and chills, extreme prostration, a rapidly developing anemia, and the passage of urine that is black or dark red in colour (hence the disease's name).
Blackwater fever is characterized by acute intravascular hemolysis with hemoglobinuria in patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Its pathogenesis and management are still debated. Nine cases of this syndrome occurred in 2003 at Kiremba Hospital in Burundi in children receiving multiple quinine treatments.
Blackwater: is the wastewater from bathrooms and toilets that contains faecal matter and urine. Water from kitchens and dishwashers are also considered blackwater due to the contamination by pathogens and grease (Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources 2013, Your Home, Australian Government, Canberra).
Thus, Polycythemia is not a symptom of blackwater fever.
It's official name is Visceral Leishmaniasis, also known as Black Fever, is almost always fatal.
The black fever
Kala-azar was first discovered in Bengal (encompassing today's Bangladesh and parts of India, including, during the colonial era, Bihar), where it received its name, which means “black fever” in Hindi. It causes fever, weight loss, swelling of the spleen and liver, and anaemia.
Blackwater fever is a complication of malaria infection consisting of a syndrome of febrile intra-vascular haemolysis with severe anaemia and intermittent passage of dark-red to black colour urine.
It is transmitted through the bite of the sandfly (Phlebotomus argentipes) infected with the parasite Leishmania donovani. It causes emaciation, enlargement of the spleen and liver, anaemia and fever, and in chronic cases leads to darkening of the skin, hence the name.
Kala Azar or black fever is a disease caused by infection with Leishmania parasites. It is transmitted by female sandfly - Phlebotomus argentipes.
Introduction: early recognition of warning signs in malarial patients allows timely identification of the patient at risk of severe malaria and provides opportune treatment. Jaundice and dark urine are frequent signs that can alert to the occurrence of severe malaria.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar (Hindi: kālā āzār, "black sickness") or "black fever", is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and, without proper diagnosis and treatment, is associated with high fatality.
High Fever Risks
In most cases, fevers can break on their own or with home remedies. However, high fevers that linger or worsen can cause significant health complications if left untreated, including febrile seizures, brain damage, and even death.
What Is Kala-Azar or Black Fever? Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar is a fatal disease, if left untreated in over 95% of cases. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), it is characterized by irregular bouts of fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anaemia.
The parasitic infection causing Blackwater infection is Plasmodium falciparum. Blackwater fever is fatal and therefore, the mortality rate is high.
Over 90 sandfly species are known to transmit Leishmania parasites. There are 3 main forms of the disease: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar is fatal if left untreated in over 95% of cases. It is characterized by irregular bouts of fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anaemia.
Bolivian hemorrhagic fever (BHF), also known as black typhus or Ordog Fever, is a hemorrhagic fever and zoonotic infectious disease originating in Bolivia after infection by Machupo mammarenavirus.
Talk to your doctor if you experience a fever while living in or after traveling to a high-risk malaria region. If you have severe symptoms, seek emergency medical attention.
Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells.
In the case of Leishmania infection, the person's skin may change colour, becoming darker (hyperpigmentation) or lighter (hypopigmentation) or sometimes total loss in skin colour (depigmented). Hyperpigmentation in skin is caused by an increase in the melanin pigment (responsible for colour of skin).
The sores may start out as papules (bumps) or nodules (lumps) and may end up as ulcers (like a volcano, with a raised edge and central crater); skin ulcers may be covered by scab or crust. The sores usually are painless but can be painful.
Step by step answer: Sleeping sickness, kala-azar and malaria are examples of protozoan diseases. i. Sleeping sickness is also known as African Trypanosomiasis. It is caused by microscopic parasites of species Trypanosoma brucei.