Sevc.nty rock hyraxes of the genera proeavia and beterahyrax were rntrapped fom cl endemic (18) and nen-endemic areas (52).natural rninfection with leishumain aethiopice were not found rneither un smear 01: culture frdm n')8(:8 ()r asu:t(~(t hy skinrntestin£; and were si:.;nificantly hi;~hc:t in infccte'.i nnimnls andrnanimals immuni.sed with leishmaui,q ~ .;rhe.n cqmr.'CJ.re:ed t.) uninfec. tedrnanimals. H(ver) skin t(;st respns(s coulcJ )nly be elicit('_drnwith a d{)se seven times higher than that :t()utincly used inrnhumans. DTH 10si')n8 Here nevet" erythcmat(•.us ~rnNor.mal serum ,)f hyr.8.xes contains both natural 8;jglutinins Rndrncytotoxic factors although these wer2 l~w~r than those found inrnman and other animals. The direct it~ulutin~tiun assay showedrnt hat J n t i b ( die s t CJ 1 (. ish TTl (l n i PI P r r) mas) t e s r' roe r : S S i vel yrnincreas foll()wing infection. It is 't)ussible that ~.his assayrncould be used for cpidemi::,1()f•.i(,~