Visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia. I. Cross-sectional leishmanin skin test in an endemic locality.

A cross-sectional leishmanin skin test was carried out on a sample population of 730 individuals. The overall prevalence of leishmanin positivity was 36.4%; 50.9% of males and 23.2% of females showed positive skin test reaction. The skin-test profile in the study area is typical of an endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis. The increase in leishmanin positivity with age parallels the age-specific disease profile and indicates an outdoor exposure to infection.