title: An evaluation of the performance of direct agglutination test on filter paper blood sample for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: The attack phase of the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) elimination program in Bangladesh aims to decrease the burden of VL incidence from close to 20 cases to less than one case per 10,000 at sub-district level. The consolidation phase will aim to confirm no increase in VL in endemic areas through active surveillance. During this phase, a reliable diagnostic tool for mass screening is required. Here, we report the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of a filter paper-based agglutination test (FP-DAT) for diagnosis of VL in patients admitted to an upazila health complex in Mymensingh, a VL-endemic region of Bangladesh. The sensitivity of both the conventional direct agglutination test (DAT) and FP-DAT were 100% and 96%, respectively. The specificity of both assays was 100%. However, when the performances of the two assays were compared using McNamar's test, neither the sensitivity nor the specificity of the FP-DAT differed significantly from conventional DAT.
authors: International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh; Emerging Vaccine, Center for Vaccine Science, Bangladesh.
authors: Md Golam
authors: MG
authors: Hasnain
authors: International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh; Emerging Vaccine, Center for Vaccine Science, Bangladesh.
authors: Prakash
authors: P
authors: Ghosh
authors: International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh; Emerging Vaccine, Center for Vaccine Science, Bangladesh.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Baker
authors: International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh; Emerging Vaccine, Center for Vaccine Science, Bangladesh din63d@icddrb.org.
authors: Dinesh
authors: D
authors: Mondal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000592:standards*; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001459:Bangladesh; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D059788:Dried Blood Spot Testing / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan