Study of Some Parameters to Evaluate Immunization against Leishmaniasis in Golden hamsters

Abstract

Incubation period, smears, impression and parasite culture for each liver, spleen, foot and blood were observed along five times follow up (15,30, 45, 60, 75, 90) days after challenge infection with virulent Leishmania tropica isolate in four groups of golden hamsters, inoculated with (one, two, three) doses of different antigens as following: Group (1) inoculated with autoclaved killed Leishmania tropica, Group (2) inoculated with BCG vaccine alone while Group (3) Inoculated with mixed vaccines (autoclaved killed Leishmania + BCG) and (4) control animals inoculated with phosphate buffer saline. Group 3, was considered as the best vaccine in this study because animal inoculated with this vaccine showed the following results compared with other antigens: - No lesion appeared along 90 days of following up.- Negative foot impression and culture up to 15 and 30 days of infection respectively, - Negative spleen and liver impression up to 30 days of infection when comparing with other groups.