Studies on mediterranean leishmaniasis 2. Asymptomatic cases of visceral leishmaniasis

Serological screening of the population during an outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy) in 1971–1972 showed 6 individuals to have high titres of complement fixing antibody to BCG antigen, multiple hepatic epithehoid granulomata (with the presence of intracellular leishmania in one) and subsequent reaction to leishmanin. All individuals were asymptomatic with the exception of one in whom there was slight splenic enlargement.