ABSTRACT
Visceral leishmaniasis is an important endemic disease in Iraq. To evaluate the performance characteristics and validity of rk39 dipstick test in diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis, taking into account the effect of age and duration of the disease on validity. A sample of 300 inpatients with a provisional diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis and available results of rk39 dipstick test were studied. The standard for establishing the disease status was a combination of classical clinical features together with good response to treatment with Pentostam. The longer the duration of symptoms the higher is the sensitivity and to a lesser extent the specificity of rk39 test. The sensitivity was significantly higher one week after the start of fever [96.8%] compared to the group of patients tested during the first week of their illness [61 .2%]. The specificity was slightly higher during the 2[nd] and 3[rd] week of starting fever [100%] compared to the first week of illness [94.4%]. On the other hand the age of patient had no impact on the validity of rk39 test. Both the positive and negative rk39 test results were highly reliable in confirming and excluding the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis assuming the clinical suspicion of the disease is in favour of clinical opinion and provided that the patient is symptomatic and the duration of fever is longer than one week