Direct agglutination test for early diagnosis of Indian visceral leishmaniasis.

In a prospective study, 80 cases of fever with hepatosplenomegaly, anemia and leucopaenia coming from the hyperendemic zones for visceral leishmaniasis of North-Bihar, India were screened and subjected to bone marrow or splenic puncture for demonstration of Leishman-donovan bodies (LDB) and DIRECT AGGLUTINATION TEST (DAT) with antigen prepared by Harith et al. 59 cases were confirmed for Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) by demonstration of LDB in which DAT was also positive in different titres ranging from 1:1600 onwards. Out of 21 cases in which the bone marrow was negative for parasite, DAT was positive in 10 cases. 8 Out of 10 cases responded to WHO regimen of treatment with sodium stibogluconate (SSG). Remaining two cases who did not respond to this therapy became positive for parasites on subsequent splenic aspirate. They were treated with pentamidine isethionate and were cured. 11 out of 80 cases showing a titre of 1:400 or lower in DAT, 6 proved to be cases of enteric fever and 5 of malaria. Thus DAT using Harith's antigen was found to be 100% sensitive and specific in detection of early cases of Indian VL.