ABSTRACT
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic protozoal disease in Iraq. Recovery from the disease confers a solid and permanent immunity. Vaccination with a living inoculum of promastigotes isolated from culture reduce the incidence of disease. To show the efficacy of different types of antigens for protection of Balb/c mice against cutaneous leishmaniasis. Thirty Balb Ic mice were divided in to six groups, groups 1-4 were immunized with different types of antigens [heat killed, freezing-thawing, formalin fixed and ultrasonicated]. Received June 2005 Group 5 was treated with freshly harvested viable promastigotes from liquid medium as positive Accepted Nov. 2005 control and group 6 was kept as negative control. Leishmanin test was used for estimation of hyper sensitivity of skin. Immunization with antigens preparation revealed that, the immunized mice became resistant to infection. Immunization of mice against cutaneous leishmaniasis is possible by using different types of antigens. Keywords: Immunisation, cutaneous leishmaniasis, mice