During the twenty-year period (1975-1995), 14 patients were treated because of visceral leishmaniasis at the Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Split, Croatia. They all presented with typical laboratory and clinical findings. Only three cases were registered between 1975 and 1991 (two in 1983 and one in 1985) and the remaining 11 were observed between April, 1992 and June 1997, against a background of no cases in the previous 6 years. Eight of the 14 cases were among infants aged 8 months to 5 years, and six of them were under 2 years. The mean age of the five adults with visceral leishmaniasis was 40.5 (SD 2.93) years. They all lived in the urban (n=4) or periurban (n=10) settlement of Southern Croatia. The substantial increase in cases of visceral leishmaniasis observed during the war and postwar period in Croatia could be explained by changes in living conditions - a decrease of nutrition, generally lower standard of living, an increase in the number of affected stray dogs and irregular spraying of insecticides necessary for vector control. Although classic visceral leishmaniasis is in southern Croatia mainly seen among immunocompetent children, an increase in the number of adult cases could be expected, mostly due to the increase in the number of intravenous-drug users and known Leishmania and HIV-1 coinfection. The need for control and increased awareness of this parasitosis is emphasised.