title: Frequency of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Species Identification in Suspected Individuals from Golestan Province, Northern Iran in 2014.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by species of protozoa of the genusLeishmania. In recent years, incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis has increasing trend in Golestan Province, North of Iran. The aim of the present study was to identify the frequency of cutaneous leishmaniasis using PCR-RFLP in patients referred to Kalaleh Health Center, during 2013-14.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 70 individuals with suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis that referred to health center of Kalaleh County, Golestan Province, Northern Iran, from Sep 2013 to Nov 2014. Samples of cutaneous lesions were examined microscopically. DNA was extracted from all of the positive smears and PCR was done on ITS-1 gene. RFLP was performed using HaeIII enzyme for species identification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Totally, 38 out of the 70 (54.3%) suspected individuals including 22 males (57.9%) were found positive by microscopic examination. All of microscopically positive samples were confirmed to be positive forLeishmaniaDNA (approximately 340 bp bands were detected). RFLP revealed 140 bp and 200 bp bands (approximate size), indicative ofL. major.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The detected species of studied region wasL. major. Cutaneous leishmaniasis has high prevalence in Kalaleh County, thus more studies on leishmaniasis in the animal reservoirs, comparison of homology of animal and human isolates and a survey regarding natural infection of vectors in this region is highly recommended.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farideh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hezari
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niyyati
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyyed Javad
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Seyyed Tabaei
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohebali
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahideh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moin Vaziri
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamed
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Behniafar
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Eznolah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Azargashb
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Niloofar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Taghipour
keywords: Cutaneous leishmaniasis; ITS-1; Iran; Leishmania major