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Glite Dictionary
kala azar

kala azar

9.9
A serious tropical illness from tiny parasites spread by sandflies that causes fever and weight loss
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑːlə əˈzɑːr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : kala azar
  • After months of unexplained fever, the patient was finally diagnosed with kala azar.

Examples

  • Doctors are working hard to find better treatments for kala azar.

  • She was diagnosed with kala azar last month.

  • The region has seen an increase in cases of kala azar due to poor sanitation.

  • Many people in rural areas suffer from kala azar.

  • The outbreak of kala azar in the region has raised urgent health concerns among officials.

  • In rural areas, kala azar often remains untreated due to a lack of medical facilities.

  • Private physicians are enrolling hundreds of patients in Bihar state, where the death toll from kala azar is highest.

Synonyms

leishmaniasis
vskala azar
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A disease caused by parasites that sandflies spread when they bite people, making skin sores and sometimes harming internal organs

is the severe tropical form marked especially by strong fever and weight loss
leishmaniosis
vskala azar
  • UK
9.9

A disease caused by tiny parasites spread by sandflies that makes skin sores and can affect organs

is the severe tropical disease with fever weight loss and skin sores
kala-azar
vskala azar
  • Specialized
9.9

A serious infection by tiny parasites that attack the liver and spleen and cause fever and weight loss

is more about fever weight loss and skin sores than organ damage
visceral leishmaniasis
vskala azar
  • Specialized
9.9

A severe infection by tiny parasites that attacks internal organs like the liver, spleen and bone marrow

is focused on systemic symptoms and skin sores not only internal organs

Surface Forms

kala azar singular
kala azars plural

Morphology

kala + azar

This is a borrowed technical term (from South Asian languages, literally 'black fever') whose parts ('kala', 'azar') are not English words and would be unfamiliar to a B1 learner. Even if a learner knew the literal components, 'black' + 'disease' does not transparently convey the specific medical condition and symptoms, so the meaning is not derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Kala azar comes from Hindi/Urdu words kala ('black') and azar ('fever'). People gave the disease this name because it often made the skin look darker and caused a high, long-lasting fever, so the words together described this serious illness.