title: Molecular detection of Leishmania infection due to Leishmania major and Leishmania turanica in the vectors and reservoir host in Iran.
abstract: An epidemiological study was carried out on the vectors and reservoirs of cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural areas of Damghan district, Semnan province, central Iran, during 2008-2009. Totally, 6110 sand flies were collected using sticky papers and were subjected to molecular methods for detection of Leishmania parasite. Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli was the common species in outdoor and indoor resting places. Polymerase chain reaction technique showed that 24 out of 218 P. papatasi (11%) and 4 out of 62 Phlebotomus caucasicus Marzinovskyi (6.5%) were positive for parasites Leishmania major Yakimoff and Schokhor. Twenty-one rodent reservoir hosts captured using Sherman traps were identified as Rhombomys opimus Lichtenstein (95%) and Meriones libycus Lichtenstein (5%). Microscopic investigation on blood smear of the animals for amastigote parasites revealed 8 (40%) rodents infected with R. opimus. L. major infection in these animals was then confirmed by polymerase chain reaction against internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA (rDNA) loci of the parasite followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism. Further, sequence analysis of 297 bp of ITS1-rDNA loci revealed the presence of L. major and Leishmania turanica in P. papatasi, and L. major in R. opimus. This is the first molecular report of L. major infection in both vectors (P. papatasi and P. caucasicus) and reservoir host (R. opimus) in this region. The results indicated that P. papatas was the primary vector of the disease and circulating the parasite between human and reservoirs, and P. caucasicus could be considered as a secondary vector. Further, our study showed that R. opimus is the most important host reservoir for maintenance of the parasite source in the area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. rassiy@sina.tums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Yavar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rassi
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oshaghi
authors.forename: Sadegh Mohammadi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Azani
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Abaie
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rafizadeh
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohebai
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohtarami
authors.forename: Mohammad kazem
authors.initials: Mk
authors.lastname: Zeinali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D007492:Iran; D007891:Leishmania / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000469:parasitology*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length / Q000235:genetics; D012377:Rodentia / Q000469:parasitology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer