Which of the following is a causative agent of Visceral Leishmaniasis?
Leishmania braziliensis
Leishmania panamensis
Leishmania donovani
Leishmania major
Visceral Leishmaniasis (kala-azar in Hindi) is caused by the L. donovani complex, which includes L. donovani (anthroponotic transmission) and L. infantum or L. chagasi (zoonotic transmission). Prevalence: India and neighboring Nepal, Bangladesh, Sudan, and Brazil are the four largest foci of VL and account for 90% of the world's VL burden, with India the worst affected. Ref: Sundar S. (2012). Chapter 212. Leishmaniasis. In D.L. Longo, A.S. Fauci, D.L. Kasper, S.L. Hauser, J.L. Jameson, J. Loscalzo (Eds), Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18e.