Raw HSP70 nanopore sequencing reads of Old and New World Leishmania species
This project aimed to develop an Oxford Nanopore sequencing platform targeting the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene for accurate identification of Leishmania species. The platform was optimised using 22 reference cultured Leishmania isolates representing 15 species belonging to all four subgenera of Euleishmania. Additionally, the platform was validated using sand fly and clinical samples from dogs and humans collected in endemic countries across the Old and New Worlds. Specifically, sand fly samples were obtained from Brazil, Kosovo, Austria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina; human samples from Brazil and Thailand; and dog samples from Brazil, Greece, and Portugal.