title: Natural transovarial and transstadial transmission of Leishmania infantum by naïve Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks blood feeding on an endemically infected dog in Shiraz, south of Iran.
abstract: The visceral leishmaniasis parasite, Leishmania infantum, is naturally transmitted through the bites of phlebotomine sand flies. Alternative routes of transmission are questioned. The main aim is to verify the passage of L. infantum kDNA in ticks, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, blood feeding on a parasitemic dog in Shiraz, south of Iran.
  
  
  
  A total of 180 Leishmania-free ticks collected from fields and bred on lab rodents, were divided into eight groups and allowed to feed on a dog (Canis familiaris) for fixed periods of time. These and all third generation stages of ticks were checked for L. infantum kDNA using conventional PCR protocol.
  
  
  
  The infection rate was significantly higher in female than male ticks (p=0.043). The rates were higher among nymphs (25/60; 42%) than adult ticks (37/120; 30.8%). The kDNA of L. infantum was not detected in ticks 24 h post-feeding. It was, however, positive among the second to fourth groups of nymphs (4/10; 40%, 10/20; 50% and 11/20; 55%) and adult (12/30; 40%, 14/30; 46.6% and 11/30; 36.6%) ticks. Eggs and unfed larvae recovered from the third and fourth adult groups (2 weeks, 4 weeks) were 100% PCR-positive. The data revealed the passage of L. infantum kDNA in nymphs and adults of brown dog tick following fixed time intervals post blood feeding on an infected dog.
  
  
  
  The natural transovarial and transstadial passage of kDNA through ticks was shown by PCR.
authors: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Tahereh
authors: T
authors: Dabaghmanesh
authors: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Qasem
authors: Q
authors: Asgari
authors: Research Centre for Health Sciences, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Mohammad Djaefar
authors: MD
authors: Moemenbellah-Fard
authors: Research Centre for Health Sciences, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Aboozar
authors: A
authors: Soltani
authors: Research Centre for Health Sciences, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran azizik@sums.ac.ir azizi_ko@yahoo.com.
authors: Kourosh
authors: K
authors: Azizi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast / Q000032:analysis*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007814:Larva; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009758:Nymph; D010063:Ovum; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011576:Psychodidae; D011817:Rabbits; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000469:parasitology*; D064927:Tick Bites
chemical_list: D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast
keywords: Iran; Leishmania infantum; Rhipicephalus sanguineus