Leishmania donovani, cause of kala-azar
Leishmania donovani, agente del kala-azar
- Date
- 1903 · confidence high
- Place
- General Hospital, Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India
- Credited to
- Charles Donovan (with William Leishman in London)
- People
- 👤 Charles Donovan1863–1951
- Field
- Life & health
What was discovered
Donovan found in spleen biopsies from patients in Madras the parasitic bodies that Leishman had described in London from a soldier who died at Dum Dum. Together they identified the protozoan that causes visceral leishmaniasis.
Ronald Ross gave it the name Leishmania donovani, recognising both men.
What it led to
- diagnosis of kala-azar
- search for antimonial drugs