title: Geographical distribution of leishmania species of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in fars province, southern iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this study was to know the identity of Leishmania species responsible of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Fars Province, southern Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five counties of Shiraz, Firouz Abad, Ghir-Karzin, Farashband and Larestan were prospected. Forty-four patients exhibiting cutaneous lesions were selected. Samples collected on skin lesions were examined both microscopically (after Giemsa staining) and molecularly (after PCR-RFLP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the 44 examined patients, 39 exhibit Leishmania sp. by microscopical examination, all confirmed by PCR. For five patients with negative microscopical examination, PCR was positive for three of them. Among these 42 positive samples, 3 (7%) were infected by L. tropica and 39 (93%) by L. major.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leishmania major is the most prevalent species in prospected area and L. tropica occurs in Shiraz and Ghir-Karzin counties.
authors.affiliation: ANSES, JE2533 - USC «Transmission vectorielle et épidémiosurveillance de maladies parasitaires (VECPAR)», Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Faculté de Pharmacie, France ; Parasitology Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akhoundi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hajjaran
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baghaei
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohebali
keywords: Human; Iran; Leishmania major; Leishmania tropica; PCR-RFLP