Field use of the Dot-ELISA test for visceral leishmaniasis in Honduras.

Serologic tests are universally accepted as an indispensable tool for diagnosing visceral leishmaniasis at health care facilities. Additionally, serodiagnosis is the most valuable single procedure in any surveillance program, since it permits rapid screening of large populations in remote areas without clinical evaluation, yields incidence data for the population, and provides an efficient means of early case detection (1). Several types of tests with a generally acceptable degree of reliability have been used as an aid in the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. These include complement furation, both with a nonspecific acid-fast bacterial antigen (2)