title: Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Yemen: clinicoepidemiologic features and a preliminary report on species identification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinicoepidemiologic profile of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Yemen (Hajjah and adjacent regions) and to identify the Leishmania species responsible.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 136 cases [96 (70.6%) males and 40 (29.4%) females] were subjected to detailed analysis. The diagnosis was based on positive slit skin smear and histopathologic studies when needed. In four cases, in vitro culture and Leishmania characterization by isoenzyme electrophoresis of 15 isoenzymes were attempted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the patients (107; 78.7%) were residents of the Hajjah Governorate. The majority of the patients had a single noduloulcerative lesion on the face. Slit skin smear was positive for parasites in 128 (94%) cases (highly positive in 63 cases) and four Leishmania isolates were obtained. The isoenzyme characterization results revealed L. tropica to be the species responsible, and zymodeme analysis showed that one strain belonged to zymodeme MON137, and three strains belonged to two previously undescribed zymodemes similar to zymodeme MON71.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CL seems to be endemic in this region. L. tropica was identified as the species responsible in four strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Saudi Hospital at Hajjah, Yemen Republic. mishrik1@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: Mishri Lal
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Khatri
authors.forename: Nasser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.forename: Trentina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Di Muccio
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gramiccia
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007891:Leishmania / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology