title: First detection of Leishmania killicki (Kinetoplastida, Trypanosomatidae) in Ctenodactylus gundi (Rodentia, Ctenodactylidae), a possible reservoir of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leishmania killicki was originally described in 1980 in southeast Tunisia. It was also recently reported in Lybia and Algeria. Nevertheless, neither vector nor reservoirs of this parasite are known. The identification of the vector and the animal reservoir host of L. killicki is critical for the establishment of an efficient control strategy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  blood, popliteal lymph node, spleen, bone marrow, liver and skin were collected from 50 rodents in 2009 in south western Tunisia. Samples were smeared onto glass slides, cultured on NNN medium and tested by polymerase chain reaction for Leishmania detection. Parasites were detected by PCR from 10 Psammomys obesus and from two Ctenodactylus gundi. Parasite identification was performed simultaneously by internal transcribed spacer 1 PCR-RFLP and by PCR sequencing. Both Leishmania major and Leishmania killicki were identified from infected Psammomys and Ctenodactylus gundi respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of Leishmania killicki identified from Ctenodactylus gundi in Tunisia. This result supports the assumption that C. gundi is a potential reservoir for Leishmania killicki.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie (99UR/08-05), Département de biologie clinique, Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Kaouther
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaouadi
authors.forename: Najoua
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haouas
authors.forename: Dhekra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chaara
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorcii
authors.forename: Najla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chargui
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Augot
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pratlong
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dedet
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ettlijani
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mezhoud
authors.forename: Hamouda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Babba
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000469:parasitology; D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D007891:Leishmania / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000635:transmission*; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012377:Rodentia / Q000469:parasitology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer