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Isolation
of Organisms
The diagnosis of
Leishmania spp. is made by microscopic identification of the nonmotile, intracellular form (amastigote) in stained sections from lesions, and by culture of the motile, extracellular form (promastigote)
on suitable media. Slides should be fixed and stained before they are
sent unless reagents are not available. Serologic tests are also
available to detect for anti-leishmanial antibodies; however, these tests are often not sensitive, particularly for diagnosing cutaneous leishmaniasis,
and do not provide definitive diagnosis.
For more information on
Leishmania testing, contact the Division of Parasitic Diseases at
770-488-4475.
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