DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2013.v01i06.0074

Pages: 985-989

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector borne disease caused by a protozoan of Leishmania donvani complex. After malaria VL is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world. A prospective study was done on patients with VL attending to Al-Karamah Teaching Hospital and Health Centers in different parts of Iraq, during the period from June 2012 to May 2013. The aims of this study are to assess the current situation of VL distribution and some of epidemiological aspects of the disease using immunochromatographic dipstick strip (rK39), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) in some areas of Iraq. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 365 VL suspected patients before treatment initiation. Sera were separated and kept at -20oC until used. The diagnosis of VL was done based on clinical signs and symptoms and serological tests. The serum samples were first checked using rK39 dipstick and the positive samples were checked by ELISA and IFAT tests. The results of rK39 dipstick showed that 172 of 365 suspected patients were positive. The age of majority of the patients (69, 40.1 %) was less than one year and although not significant but the rate of rK39 dipstick positive was more in males (93, 54.1%) than females (79, 45.9%). The ELISA and IFA tests were used to check the serum samples of 172 rK39 positive patients and the results showed that 96 (85.4%) and 96 (81.25%) of the serum samples were positive by ELISA and IFAT, respectively. Eighty three (48 %) of the VL patients were resident of central parts of Iraq. The rare of VL patients were more in winter and the more common clinical manifestation was fever in all of the patients and splenomegaly was seen in 158 (91.9 %) of the patients.