The biochemical and serological taxonomy of Leishmania from the Aethiopian zoogeographical region of Africa.

The electrophoretic variation of the enzymes MDH, GPI, G6PGH, 6PGDH were determined for 68 strains of Leishmania isolated in the Aethiopian zoogeographical region. Other characters determined were the DNA buoyant density of nuclear and kinetoplast DNA and the excreted factor serotype. The strains could be readily identified on the basis of these characters thus assisting in the elucidation of epidemiological problems. On the basis of these characters the strains could be divided into six groups. Three of the groups corresponded to L. donovani s.l., L. major and L. aethiopica. The three other groups identified at present have no specific name associated with them.