title: Detection of natural infection of Leishmania donovani (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) in Phlebotomus argentipes (Diptera: Psychodidae) from a forest ecosystem in the Western Ghats, India, endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis.
abstract: A new focus of transmission of Leishmania donovani causing cutaneous manifestations (CL) was reported by us earlier, in the Western Ghats region of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, India. 12,253 sand fly specimens, comprising of three species belonging to the genus Phlebotomus (24.7%) and 16 species belonging to the genus Sergentomyia (57.3%) were collected from the region during 2012-2014. Among Phlebotomus species, Phlebotomus argentipes was found predominant (77.3%), followed by Phlebotomus colabaensis (21.7%) and Phlebotomus stantoni (1.6%). From these collections, 793 P. argentipes (88 pools), 123 P. colabaensis (31 pools) and three P. stantoni (three pools) female specimens were processed for detection of natural infection with L. donovani parasites using a multiple genetic marker (kinetoplast DNA; 3'UTR of HSP70 gene & HSP70 gene) approach. Five pools of P. argentipes specimens (Unfed (one), Fulfed (one) and Gravid (two)) among these, were found positive for L. donovani infection. HSP70 gene sequences of the parasites in the vector species was found genetically identical with the human isolates reported earlier, evincing the role of P. argentipes in the transmission of CL in this region. This is the first finding of natural infection of P. argentipes with L. donovani (causing CL) from India.
authors.affiliation: Vector Control Research Centre (ICMR), Puducherry 605 006, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.affiliation: Vector Control Research Centre Field Station (ICMR), Kottayam, Kerala 686002, India. Electronic address: kumarnp@ymail.com.
authors.forename: N Pradeep
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Vector Control Research Centre (ICMR), Puducherry 605 006, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jambulingam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000635:transmission*; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan
keywords: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis; India; Kerala; Leishmania donovani; Phlebotomus argentipes; Western Ghats; natural infection