**3.3 Culture of** *Leishmania*

Our laboratory has mainly been involved in the culture of dermotropic *Leishmania*, even though isolates from VL bone-marrow aspirates were occasionally cultured.

Culture was mainly carried out for the purpose of typing strains by isoenzyme electrophoresis (IEE) technique. Media we have been using are the NNN (Nicolle Novy Mc Neal), the BHI (brain heart infusion agar) and the CRS (coagulated rabbit serum), the last being best for cutaneotropic *L. infantum* strains. *Leishmania* isolates were typed either in the IEE unit of the LEEP or in the laboratory of parasitology of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Monastir, where an IEE unit was set up in 2001.
