Isolation of Leishmania mexicana (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) from Lutzomyia anthophora (Diptera: Psychodidae) collected in Texas.
Three of 27 female Lutzomyia anthophora (Addis) collected in Texas from the nest of a southern plains woodrat, Neotoma micropus Baird, during October 1991 were infected with flagellate protozoans. Isolates were grown in Schneider's Drosophila medium supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum, and isozyme analysis of two of the isolates determined the parasites to be Leishmania mexicana (Biagi). These are the first isolations of Leishmania from field-collected sand flies in North America north of Mexico. Possible reasons for the lack of human cases near the focus are presented.
McHugh
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Occupational and Environmental Health Directorate, Armstrong Laboratory, Brooks Air Force Base, TX 78235.
Grogl
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Kreutzer
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D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D013781:Texas