Summary
Comparative results between skin snips and intradermal skin tests for the diagnosis of filariasis are presented and discussed. Purified protein extracted from adult worms of Dirofilaria immitis were used as antigens for the skin test. Tests were performed on members of the Sanomã and Mayongong Indian tribes located in the northwest region of the Brazilian Amazon near Venezuela as well as on residents of Belém, state of Pará. There was a high degree of correlation between the two tests in the case of onchocerciasis and a low degree of correlation in mansoneliasis. Individuals with bancroftian filariasis had negative reactions to the D. immitis antigen.