A preliminary report on culture of Leishmania donovani in Mymensingh Medical College and evaluation of new immuno-chromatography test (ICT).

A total of 51 inpatients having prolonged low grade irregular fever with anaemia, hepatosplenomegaly, emaciation and other allied features were evaluated by findings of haematologic, seroimmunologic, microscopic examination for LD body and culture for L. donovani. The study was done during the period from September' 1999 to January' 2000. Bone marrow or splenic aspirates were examined for LD bodies and those samples were cultured in modified NNN media following a standard method. Out of 51 samples, 36 (70.5%) were positive for LD bodies in stained smears and 38 (74.5%) were positive in culture. The mean time of culture positivity was 5 +/- 2 days. Specific antileishmanial antibody were detected by Immunochromatography Test (ICT) in all 38 confirmed cases, whereas Aldehyde test (AT) were negative in 3 such cases. ICT was positive in 1 and AT in 7 cases where no parasite could be detected. So, sensitivity of ICT was 100% with a specificity of 92.3% and sensitivity of AT was 92.1% with a specificity of 46.1%.