title: Geographical distribution and epidemiological features of Old World Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani foci, based on the isoenzyme analysis of 2277 strains.
abstract: A series of 2277 Leishmania strains from Old World visceral leishmaniasis foci, isolated between 1973 and 2008, were studied by isoenzyme analysis. The strains were obtained from humans, domestic and wild carnivores, rodents and phlebotomine sandflies, and came from 36 countries. In all, 60 different zymodemes were identified and clustered by a phenetic analysis into 3 different groups corresponding to the typically visceralizing species L. donovani (20 zymodemes, 169 strains), L. archibaldi (3 zymodemes, 46 strains) and L. infantum (37 zymodemes, 2,062 strains). The taxonomic position of these isoenzymatic groups is discussed in view of contradictory results obtained from recent molecular studies.
authors.affiliation: Université Montpellier 1, Centre National de référence des leishmanioses, Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHRU de Montpellier, 39, Avenue Charles Flahault, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pratlong
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lami
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ravel
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Balard
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dereure
authors.forename: Ghislaine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Serres
authors.forename: Fouad E L
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Baidouri
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dedet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes