VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS - USE OF THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION IN AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY IN BARINGO DISTRICT, KENYA

The polymerase chain reaction was applied to capillary blood spots dri ed on filter paper from 20 parasitologically proved cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), 21 subclinical cases, and 11 healthy controls in a longitudinal study of anthroponotic VL in Baringo District, Kenya. Le ishmania deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was detected 10.5 months before d iagnosis and up to 3 years after diagnosis and apparently successful t reatment. Subclinical cases can have detectable circulating parasite D NA in their blood. These findings may indicate that subclinical cases can be a reservoir and formerly treated VL patients can remain a reser voir for a long time. Xenodiagnosis should be performed on subclinical cases and former VL patients to establish their role in transmission of VL in Kenya.