title: First report on natural infection of the Phlebotomus tobbi by Leishmania infantum in northwestern Iran.
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an important health problem in Ardebil, where it borders Azerbaijan in the northwestern Iran. In spite of the presence of both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis (CL and VL) in northwestern Iran, previous researches have consistently revealed the etiologic agent of VL in the region to be Leishmania infantum. This is the first report of natural infection of Phlebotomus tobbi with L. infantum in Bilesavar district in the northern part of Ardebil province bordering Azerbaijan. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of kDNA, ITS1-rDNA, and CPB genes of the parasite followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and gene sequencing analyses revealed presence of L. infantum in six out of 433 tested female sand fly specimens. Although sand flies of P. tobbi were infrequent, two out of 32 (6.25%) females captured in the area were found infected with the parasite. Phlebotomus perfiliewi transcaucasicus, the known vector of VL in the area, were the most dominant species but only four out of 273 (1.47%) tested were infected with L. infantum. This study showed that P. tobbi similar to P. perfiliewi transcaucasicus could play a significant role in the transmission of the L. infantum. However more investigations are needed to demonstrate that L. infantum is the only species circulating in the focus.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Yavar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rassi
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanei Dehkordi
authors.forename: Mohammad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oshaghi
authors.forename: Mohammad R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Abai
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohtarami
authors.forename: Ahmadali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Enayati
authors.forename: Zabiholah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zarei
authors.forename: Ezatoldin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Javadian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*; D007492:Iran; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S