Indirect fluorescent antibody test in the serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in Bangladesh.

Indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) was found to be 100% sensitive and 100% specific when tested with sera from 125 parasitologically proven kala-azar patients, 100 healthy controls and 50 sick control cases. Promastigotes of both L. enriettii and L. donovani as well as amastigotes of L. enriettii were found equally satisfactory as antigen for IFAT. From the results of the present study, it is concluded that IFAT is a highly sensitive as well as specific serological test for the diagnosis of kala-azar.