RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIRECT AGGLUTINATION-TEST AND SPLENIC ASPIRATE SMEAR PARASITE LOAD IN VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS AT BARINGO DISTRICT, KENYA

Direct agglutination test was carried out in Baringo District on 100 p ersons presenting with signs and symptoms suggestive of visceral leish maniasis. Splenic aspirate smears and cultures were done on these 100 persons in order to parasitologically confirm the findings of the dire ct agglutination test. It was found that the direct agglutination test positively detected all 79 (79%) patients parasitologically confirmed to have visceral leishmaniasis. Irrespective of the splenic aspirate smear parasite rate, whether 1+ or 6+ on a logarithmic scale, direct a gglutination test was positive. There were 21% false positives, two of whom had Schistosoma mansoni in their stools. It was not immediately known about the cause of the other false positives. It was concluded t hat the direct agglutination test is a good provisional serodiagnostic test for visceral leishmaniasis and should be considered for wider fi eld application.