Eurofins Biomnis code

LEIS

Clinic significance

Infection with the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani infantum. Mainly affects young children. The reservoir is the dog and human infection occurs when promastigotes are transmitted via the bite of a phlebotomine sandfly. Symptoms include high fever, anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and hepatosplenomegaly. If untreated, the disease can be fatal as a result of widespread secondary infections and extensive hemorrhage. In a patient presenting with the relevant symptoms, leishmaniasis should be suspected in an endemic area and the first step in diagnosis is serological analysis. A positive result is obtained in 95% of all immunocompetent subjects with the disease. Subsequently, diagnosis depends on the detection of leishmania organisms in macrophages.

Prenalytics

• 1 mL
• serum (do not use 10 mL tube)
• Refrigerated

Further information

• If equivocal or positive, the confirmation test is automatically performed.

Methodology

Enzyme-immunoassay + Immunofluorescence

Turnaround time

1 week