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The race to discover the insect vector of kala-azar: a great saga of tropical medicine 1903–1942

La course à la découverte de l’insecte vecteur du kala-azar : une importante saga de la médecine tropicale 1903–1942

  • History of Medicine / Histoire de la Médecine
  • Published:
Bulletin de la Société de pathologie exotique

Abstract

In the 19th century, a devastating epidemic of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) swept through northeast India. After identification of the pathogenic agent, Leishmania donovani, in 1903, the question of its transmission remained to be resolved. In 1904, thanks to work by L. Rogers on cultures of this parasite it became probable that a haematophagous arthropod was responsible for transmission. J.A. Sinton suggested, in 1925, the distribution of the sand fly Phlebotomus argentipes was similar to that of the disease and, thereafter, two independent teams led by H.E. Shortt in Assam and R. Knowles and L. Napier in Calcutta concentrated on this potential vector. Parallel work was in progress in China, directed by E. Hindle and W. S. Patton for the Royal Society Kala-azar Commission, on another species of sand fly. In 1942 the Assam workers transmitted L. donovani to five human volunteers by the bites of colonised P. argentipes and the race was over.

Résumé

Au 19e siècle, une épidémie dévastatrice de leishmaniose viscérale (kala-azar) se répandait dans le nord-est de l’Inde. Après l’identification de l’agent pathogène, Leishmania donovani, en 1903, la question de sa transmission restait à résoudre. En 1904, grâce aux travaux de L. Rogers sur les cultures de ce parasite, il devenait probable qu’un arthropode hématophage était responsable de la transmission. J.A. Sinton suggèrait, en 1925, que l’aire de répartition du phlétotome Phlebotomus argentipes était semblable à celle de la leishmaniose. Dès lors, deux équipes, l’une dirigée par H.E Shortt en Assam, l’autre par R. Knowles et L. Napier à Calcutta, concentrèrent leurs efforts sur ce vecteur potentiel. Un travail parallèle se déroulait en Chine sur une autre espèce de phlébotome, dans le cadre des recherches dirigées par E. Hindle et W.S Patton pour la Commission du Kala-Azar de la Royal Society. En 1942, les chercheurs de l’Assam parvenaient à transmettre L. donovani à cinq volontaires par la piqûre de P. argentipes d’élevage et la question de la transmission était enfin résolue.

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    R. Killick-Kendrick

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Killick-Kendrick, R. The race to discover the insect vector of kala-azar: a great saga of tropical medicine 1903–1942. Bull. Soc. Pathol. Exot. 106, 131–137 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13149-013-0285-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13149-013-0285-x

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