A new species of Leishmania isolated from the great gerbil Rhombomys opimus.
Leishmania turanica n.sp., found infecting the desert rodent Rhombomys opimus in the southern territories of the USSR and the Mongolian People's Republic, is described. This parasite exists sympatrically with L. major and L. gerbilli in R. opimus and is the predominant species. A total of 284 isolates of L. turanica from R. opimus, 3 from naturally infected Phlebotomus andrejevi and 1 from P. papatasi were characterized and found to be clearly distinguishable on isoenzyme and nuclear DNA characteristics from all other Old World taxa of Leishmania.
Strelkova
M V
MV
Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Moscow, USSR.
Shurkhal
A V
AV
Kellina
O I
OI
Eliseev
L N
LN
Evans
D A
DA
Peters
W
W
Chapman
C J
CJ
Le Blancq
S M
SM
van Eys
G J
GJ
D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015342:DNA Probes; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D004592:Electrophoresis, Starch Gel; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis; D007891:Leishmania / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008986:Mongolia; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D014586:USSR
D015342:DNA Probes; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D007527:Isoenzymes