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Ouma FF, Mulambalah CS. Persistence and Changing Distribution of Leishmaniases in Kenya Require a Paradigm Shift. J Parasitol Res 2021; 2021:9989581. [PMID: 34707907 PMCID: PMC8545581 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9989581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmaniases present a major global public health problem, being responsible for between 40,000 and 50,000 deaths annually. The resultant morbidity affects the economic productivity and quality of life of individuals in endemic regions. As zoonotic disease(s), leishmaniases have become persistent with intermittent transmission and a tendency to disappear and reemerge, straining the fragile healthcare infrastructure in Kenya. There is a need to better understand disease(s) dynamics in Kenya. Objectives of the study. The status of leishmaniases in Kenya was reviewed to refocus and influence the attention of the scientific community and intervention strategies/policies on this persistent public health problem. Methodology. Electronic and manual literature were searched for relevant scholarly peer-reviewed published articles on leishmaniases. Literatures were obtained from PubMed, Medline, EBSCO, Host, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Findings. The diseases are reported to be persistent as emerging and reemerging within and outside traditional endemic regions. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has maintained restricted foci in Nyandarua, Baringo, Nakuru counties, and Mount Elgon area in Bungoma County. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was most prevalent with cases in Baringo, Turkana, West Pokot, Isiolo, Kitui, Meru, Machakos, Marsabit, and Wajir counties. New VL cases/foci reported in formerly nonendemic regions/beyond traditional foci of Garissa and Mandera counties. Diagnostics, management, and control strategies have remained unchanged even in the face of changing disease epidemiology. CONCLUSION Leishmaniases are emerging and reemerging persistent infections in remote rural settings in Kenya. The adopted intervention strategies have not been effective over the years, and this has led to disease spread to formerly nonendemic areas of Kenya. The diseases spread have been further enhanced by population growth and movement, environmental and climate changes, and social conflicts. It is evident that without a paradigm shift in control methods, diagnostic techniques, and treatment protocols, the diseases may spread to even more areas in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francan F. Ouma
- Masinde Muliro University of Science & Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, P. O. Box 190 50100 Kakamega, Kenya
| | - Chrispinus S. Mulambalah
- Moi University, School of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, P. O. Box 4606, Eldoret, Kenya
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Ghawar W, Attia H, Bettaieb J, Yazidi R, Laouini D, Salah AB. Genotype profile of Leishmania major strains isolated from tunisian rodent reservoir hosts revealed by multilocus microsatellite typing. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107043. [PMID: 25203305 PMCID: PMC4159323 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) caused by Leishmania (L.) major parasites represents a major health problem with a large spectrum of clinical manifestations. Psammomys (P.) obesus and Meriones (M.) shawi represent the most important host reservoirs of these parasites in Tunisia. We already reported that infection prevalence is different between these two rodent species. We aimed in this work to evaluate the importance of genetic diversity in L. major parasites isolated from different proven and suspected reservoirs for ZCL. Using the multilocus microsatellites typing (MLMT), we analyzed the genetic diversity among strains isolated from (i) P. obesus (n = 31), (ii) M. shawi (n = 8) and (iii) Mustela nivalis (n = 1), captured in Sidi Bouzid, an endemic region for ZCL located in the Center of Tunisia. Studied strains present a new homogeneous genotype profile so far as all tested markers and showed no polymorphism regardless of the parasite host-reservoir origin. This lack of genetic diversity among these L. major isolates is the first genetic information on strains isolated from Leishmania reservoirs hosts in Tunisia. This result indicates that rodent hosts are unlikely to exert a selective pressure on parasites and stresses on the similarity of geographic and ecological features in this study area. Overall, these results increase our knowledge among rodent reservoir hosts and L. major parasites interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wissem Ghawar
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Service of Medical Epidemiology, Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, LR11IPT02, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LTCII), Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Hanène Attia
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, LR11IPT02, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LTCII), Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Jihene Bettaieb
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Service of Medical Epidemiology, Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, LR11IPT02, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LTCII), Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Rihab Yazidi
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Service of Medical Epidemiology, Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, LR11IPT02, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LTCII), Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Dhafer Laouini
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, LR11IPT02, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LTCII), Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- * E-mail: (DL); (AB)
| | - Afif Ben Salah
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Service of Medical Epidemiology, Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, LR11IPT02, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LTCII), Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- * E-mail: (DL); (AB)
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Alam MZ, Bhutto AM, Soomro FR, Baloch JH, Nakao R, Kato H, Schönian G, Uezato H, Hashiguchi Y, Katakura K. Population genetics of Leishmania (Leishmania) major DNA isolated from cutaneous leishmaniasis patients in Pakistan based on multilocus microsatellite typing. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:332. [PMID: 25030377 PMCID: PMC4223516 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major and fast increasing public health problem, both among the local Pakistani populations and the Afghan refugees in camps. Leishmania (Leishmania) major is one of the etiological agents responsible for CL in Pakistan. Genetic variability and population structure have been investigated for 66 DNA samples of L. (L.) major isolated from skin biopsy of CL patients. Methods Multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT), employing 10 independent genetic markers specific to L. (L.) major, was used to investigate the genetic polymorphisms and population structures of Pakistani L. (L.) major DNA isolated from CL human cases. Their microsatellite profiles were compared to those of 130 previously typed strains of L. (L.) major from various geographical localities. Results All the markers were polymorphic and fifty-one MLMT profiles were recognized among the 66 L. (L.) major DNA samples. The data displayed significant microsatellite polymorphisms with rare allelic heterozygosities. A Bayesian model-based approach and phylogenetic analysis inferred two L. (L.) major populations in Pakistan. Thirty-four samples belonged to one population and the remaining 32 L. (L.) major samples grouped together into another population. The two Pakistani L. (L.) major populations formed separate clusters, which differ genetically from the populations of L. (L.) major from Central Asia, Iran, Middle East and Africa. Conclusions The considerable genetic variability of L. (L.) major might be related to the existence of different species of sand fly and/or rodent reservoir host in Sindh province, Pakistan. A comprehensive study of the epidemiology of CL including the situation or spreading of reservoirs and sand fly vectors in these foci is, therefore, warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ken Katakura
- Department of Disease Control, Laboratory of Parasitology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
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Alam MZ, Nakao R, Sakurai T, Kato H, Qu JQ, Chai JJ, Chang KP, Schönian G, Katakura K. Genetic diversity of Leishmania donovani/infantum complex in China through microsatellite analysis. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2014; 22:112-9. [PMID: 24480049 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Revised: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Leishmania strains from different epidemic areas in China were assessed for their genetic relationship. Twenty-nine strains of Leishmania infantum isolated from 1950 to 2001 were subjected to multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) using 14 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. Twenty-two MLMT profiles were recognized among the 29 L. infantum strains, which differed from one another in 13 loci. Bayesian model-based and distance-based analysis of the data inferred two main populations in China. Sixteen strains belonged to one population, which also comprised previously characterized strains of L. infantum non-MON1 and Leishmania donovani. The parasites within this population are assignable to a distinct cluster that is clearly separable from the populations of L. donovani elsewhere, i.e. India, Sri Lanka and East Africa, and L. infantum non-MON1 from Europe. The remaining 13 Chinese strains grouped together with strains of L. infantum MON1 into another population, but formed a separate cluster which genetically differs from the populations of L. infantum MON1 from Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. The existence of distinct groups of L. infantum MON1 and non-MON1/L. donovani suggests that the extant parasites in China may have been restricted there, but not recently introduced from elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zahangir Alam
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Department of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sakurai
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hirotomo Kato
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Jing-Qi Qu
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Jun-Jie Chai
- Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, PR China
| | - Kwang Poo Chang
- Department of Microbiology/Immunology, Chicago Medical School/RFUMS, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Gabriele Schönian
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ken Katakura
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
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Dobigny G, Tatard C, Gauthier P, Ba K, Duplantier JM, Granjon L, Kergoat GJ. Mitochondrial and nuclear genes-based phylogeography of Arvicanthis niloticus (Murinae) and sub-Saharan open habitats pleistocene history. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77815. [PMID: 24223730 PMCID: PMC3815218 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A phylogeographic study was conducted on the Nile grass rat, Arvicanthis niloticus, a rodent species that is tightly associated with open grasslands from the Sudano-Sahelian regions. Using one mitochondrial (cytochrome b) and one nuclear (intron 7 of Beta Fibrinogen) gene, robust patterns were retrieved that clearly show that (i) the species originated in East Africa concomitantly with expanding grasslands some 2 Ma, and (ii) four parapatric and genetically well-defined lineages differentiated essentially from East to West following Pleistocene bioclimatic cycles. This strongly points towards allopatric genetic divergence within savannah refuges during humid episodes, then dispersal during arid ones; secondary contact zones would have then stabilized around geographic barriers, namely, Niger River and Lake Chad basins. Our results pertinently add to those obtained for several other African rodent as well as non-rodent species that inhabit forests, humid zones, savannahs and deserts, all studies that now allow one to depict a more comprehensive picture of the Pleistocene history of the continent south of the Sahara. In particular, although their precise location remains to be determined, at least three Pleistocene refuges are identified within the West and Central African savannah biome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauthier Dobigny
- IRD, CBGP (IRD, Inra, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro), Campus de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
- Centre Régional Agrhymet, Rive Droite, Niamey, Niger
| | - Caroline Tatard
- Inra, CBGP (IRD, Inra, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro), Campus de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
| | - Philippe Gauthier
- IRD, CBGP (IRD, Inra, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro), Campus de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
| | - Khalilou Ba
- IRD, CBGP (IRD, Inra, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro), Dakar, Senegal
| | - Jean-Marc Duplantier
- IRD, CBGP (IRD, Inra, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro), Campus de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
| | - Laurent Granjon
- IRD, CBGP (IRD, Inra, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro), Campus de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
- IRD, CBGP (IRD, Inra, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro), Dakar, Senegal
| | - Gael J. Kergoat
- Inra, CBGP (IRD, Inra, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro), Campus de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
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Kelly JD, Barrie MB, Ross RA, Temple BA, Moses LM, Bausch DG. Housing equity for health equity: a rights-based approach to the control of Lassa fever in post-war Sierra Leone. BMC INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS 2013; 13:2. [PMID: 23282054 PMCID: PMC3562201 DOI: 10.1186/1472-698x-13-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Poor quality housing is an infringement on the rights of all humans to a standard of living adequate for health. Among the many vulnerabilities of those without adequate shelter is the risk of disease spread by rodents and other pests. One such disease is Lassa fever, an acute and sometimes severe viral hemorrhagic illness endemic in West Africa. Lassa virus is maintained in the rodent Mastomys natalensis, commonly known as the "multimammate rat," which frequently invades the domestic environment, putting humans at risk of Lassa fever. The highest reported incidence of Lassa fever in the world is consistently in the Kenema District of Sierra Leone, a region that was at the center of Sierra Leone's civil war in which tens of thousands of lives were lost and hundreds of thousands of dwellings destroyed. Despite the end of the war in 2002, most of Kenema's population still lives in inadequate housing that puts them at risk of rodent invasion and Lassa fever. Furthermore, despite years of health education and village hygiene campaigns, the incidence of Lassa fever in Kenema District appears to be increasing. We focus on Lassa fever as a matter of human rights, proposing a strategy to improve housing quality, and discuss how housing equity has the potential to improve health equity and ultimately economic productivity in Sierra Leone. The manuscript is designed to spur discussion and action towards provision of housing and prevention of disease in one of the world's most vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Daniel Kelly
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue SL-17, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
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Mascari TM, Stout RW, Foil LD. Evaluation of three feed-through insecticides using two rodent and two sand fly species as models. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION 2012; 28:260-262. [PMID: 23833909 DOI: 10.2987/11-6215r.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The efficacy of 3 rodent feed-through insecticides (novaluron, pyriproxyfen, and ivermectin) was determined against larvae of the sand flies Phlebotomus duboscqi and P. papatasi using Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) and Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) as laboratory models. For each insecticide, there were no significant differences between the longevity or percentage survival of sand fly larvae that had been fed feces of treated rodents for each sand fly or rodent species pairing. The results of this study suggest that larvae of P. duboscqi and P. papatasi are equally susceptible to the concentrations of the rodent feed-through insecticides tested in this study and that these insecticides are pharmacologically compatible with different rodent/sand fly interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Mascari
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Agricultural Experiment Station, 402 Life Sciences, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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Ghawar W, Toumi A, Snoussi MA, Chlif S, Zâatour A, Boukthir A, Hamida NBH, Chemkhi J, Diouani MF, Ben-Salah A. Leishmania major infection among Psammomys obesus and Meriones shawi: reservoirs of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sidi Bouzid(central Tunisia). Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2011; 11:1561-8. [PMID: 21919726 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A study was undertaken between November 2008 and March 2010, in the focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis of Central Tunisia, to evaluate the role of Psammomys obesus (n=472) and Meriones shawi (n=167) as reservoir hosts for Leishmania major infection. Prevalence of L. major infection was 7% versus 5% for culture (p=not signifiant [NS]), 19% versus 16% for direct examination of smears (p=NS), and 20% versus 33% (p=NS) for Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test among P. obesus and M. shawi, respectively. The peak of this infection was in winter and autumn and increased steadily with age for the both species of rodents. The clinical examination showed that depilation, hyper-pigmentation, ignition, and severe edema of the higher edge of the ears were the most frequent signs observed in the study sample (all signs combined: 47% for P. obesus versus 43% for M. shawi; p=NS). However, the lesions were bilateral and seem to be more destructive among M. shawi compared with P. obesus. Asymptomatic infection was ~40% for both rodents. This study demonstrated that M. shawi plays an important role in the transmission and the emergence of Leishmania major cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wissem Ghawar
- Service of Medical Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis-Belvedere, Tunisia.
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Mascari TM, Mitchell MA, Rowton ED, Foil LD. Evaluation of juvenile hormone analogues as rodent feed-through insecticides for control of immature phlebotomine sandflies. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2011; 25:227-231. [PMID: 21073493 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2010.00919.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The juvenile hormone analogues methoprene and pyriproxyfen were evaluated as rodent feed-through insecticides for control of immature stages of the sandfly Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli (Diptera: Psychodidae). The development and survival of P. papatasi second-instar larvae fed faeces from Syrian hamsters, Mesocricetus auratus, that had been fed a diet containing methoprene (0, 9.788, 97.88 or 978.8 p.p.m.) or pyriproxyfen (0, 9.82, 98.2 or 982 p.p.m.) were evaluated. The faeces of methoprene-treated hamsters greatly reduced the percentage of larvae that pupated at all concentrations tested and prevented adult emergence at all but the lowest concentration (9.788 p.p.m.). Pyriproxyfen prevented both pupation and adult emergence at all concentrations tested. The results of this study suggest that a control strategy using rodent baits containing juvenile hormone analogues to control phlebotomine sandflies that live in rodent burrows and feed on rodent faeces may be possible. As rodent reservoirs and vectors of Leishmania major live in close association in many parts of the Middle East, control of the transmission of the agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis may also be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Mascari
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
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Al-Jawabreh A, Diezmann S, Müller M, Wirth T, Schnur LF, Strelkova MV, Kovalenko DA, Razakov SA, Schwenkenbecher J, Kuhls K, Schönian G. Identification of geographically distributed sub-populations of Leishmania (Leishmania) major by microsatellite analysis. BMC Evol Biol 2008; 8:183. [PMID: 18577226 PMCID: PMC2447845 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2007] [Accepted: 06/24/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmania (Leishmania) major, one of the agents causing cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in humans, is widely distributed in the Old World where different species of wild rodent and phlebotomine sand fly serve as animal reservoir hosts and vectors, respectively. Despite this, strains of L. (L.) major isolated from many different sources over many years have proved to be relatively uniform. To investigate the population structure of the species highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were employed for greater discrimination among it's otherwise closely related strains, an approach applied successfully to other species of Leishmania. RESULTS Multilocus Microsatellite Typing (MLMT) based on 10 different microsatellite markers was applied to 106 strains of L. (L.) major from different regions where it is endemic. On applying a Bayesian model-based approach, three main populations were identified, corresponding to three separate geographical regions: Central Asia (CA); the Middle East (ME); and Africa (AF). This was congruent with phylogenetic reconstructions based on genetic distances. Re-analysis separated each of the populations into two sub-populations. The two African sub-populations did not correlate well with strains' geographical origin. Strains falling into the sub-populations CA and ME did mostly group according to their place of isolation although some anomalies were seen, probably, owing to human migration. CONCLUSION The model- and distance-based analyses of the microsatellite data exposed three main populations of L. (L.) major, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa, each of which separated into two sub-populations. This probably correlates with the different species of rodent host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amer Al-Jawabreh
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Dorotheenstr. 96, D-10098 Berlin, Germany
- Leishmania Research Unit, Jericho, The Palestinian Authority
| | - Stephanie Diezmann
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Dorotheenstr. 96, D-10098 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michaela Müller
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Dorotheenstr. 96, D-10098 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thierry Wirth
- Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 16 rue Buffon, 72231 Paris cedex 05, France
| | - Lionel F Schnur
- Department of Parasitology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, P. O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Margarita V Strelkova
- Department of Medical Protozoology, Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, M. Pirogovskaya 20, 119830 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitri A Kovalenko
- Isaev Research Institute of Medical Parasitology, Department of Leishmania Epidemiology, ul Isaeva 38, 703005 Samarkand, Uzbekistan
| | - Shavkat A Razakov
- Isaev Research Institute of Medical Parasitology, Department of Leishmania Epidemiology, ul Isaeva 38, 703005 Samarkand, Uzbekistan
| | - Jan Schwenkenbecher
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Dorotheenstr. 96, D-10098 Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Kuhls
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Dorotheenstr. 96, D-10098 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabriele Schönian
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Dorotheenstr. 96, D-10098 Berlin, Germany
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Elfari M, Schnur LF, Strelkova MV, Eisenberger CL, Jacobson RL, Greenblatt CL, Presber W, Schönian G. Genetic and biological diversity among populations of Leishmania major from Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Microbes Infect 2005; 7:93-103. [PMID: 15716069 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2004.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2004] [Revised: 09/15/2004] [Accepted: 09/16/2004] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Evidence is provided for genetic and biological variation among Leishmania major strains that correlates with their geographical origin. The host-parasite relationship also appears to be specific. Great gerbils, Rhombomys opimus, and fat sand rats, Psammomys obesus, are the main reservoir hosts in Central Asia and the Middle East, respectively. However, the Central Asian parasite failed to infect the Middle Eastern rodent host in the laboratory, and vice versa. A permissively primed intergenic polymorphic (PPIP)-PCR and a single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP)-PCR exposed genetic polymorphism among 30 strains of L. major from different geographical regions. This was verified by subsequent sequencing of DNA from the same strains using four genomic targets: (a) the NADH-dehydrogenase (NADH-DH) gene, (b) the 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) gene, (c) the ribosomal internal transcribed spacers, and (d) an anonymous DNA sequence originally amplified with random primers. All the genetic markers indicated that the nine Central Asian strains were a separate homogenous genetic group. The Middle Eastern strains formed another geographical group that displayed heterogeneity corresponding with their different Middle Eastern locations. Molecular markers and host-parasite relationships confirmed that Central Asian and Middle Eastern strains are genetically and biologically distinct sub-populations of L. major. Three African strains of L. major were genetically closer to the Middle Eastern strains, and a representative one did infect fat sand rats, but they had distinct permissively primed inter-genic polymorphic PCR patterns and internal transcribed spacer 2 types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Elfari
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Dorotheenstr. 96, D-10098 Berlin, Germany
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Dobigny G, Granjon L, Aniskin V, Ba K, Volobouev V. A new sibling species of Taterillus (Muridae, Gerbillinae) from West Africa. Mamm Biol 2003. [DOI: 10.1078/1616-5047-00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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13
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Massamba NN, Mutinga MJ, Kamau CC. Characterisation of Leishmania isolates from Laikipia District, Kenya. Acta Trop 1998; 71:293-303. [PMID: 9879738 DOI: 10.1016/s0001-706x(98)00071-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Using cloned kDNA sequences from the reference strain of Leishmania tropica IC-067, we have screened leishmanial isolates from Laikipia District of Kenya and identified these isolates as L. tropica. One isolate, IC-331, from a rat (Rattus rattus) was typed as L. tropica. This is the first time that L. tropica has been isolated from a wild rodent in Kenya and thus the first indication that the disease caused by L. tropica might be a zoonosis. The leishmanial isolates, especially those of sandflies, display extensive heterogeneity, prompting a need for selecting local and/or regional reference strains to generate species-specific DNA probes for use in identifying field isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- N N Massamba
- The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
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14
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Anjili CO, Olobo JO, Mbati PA, Robert L, Githure JI. Experimental infection of domestic goats with Leishmania major through bites of infected Phlebotomus duboscqi and needle inoculation of culture-derived promastigotes. Vet Res Commun 1994; 18:301-5. [PMID: 7831760 DOI: 10.1007/bf01839197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C O Anjili
- Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi
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15
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Tolson DL, Schnur LF, Jardim A, Pearson TW. Distribution of lipophosphoglycan-associated epitopes in different Leishmania species and in African trypanosomes. Parasitol Res 1994; 80:537-42. [PMID: 7528916 DOI: 10.1007/bf00932704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) CA7AE binds specifically to the phosphorylated Gal-beta 1,4-Man disaccharide repeat epitope of Leishmania donovani lipophosphoglycan (LPG). This mAb detected the repeat epitope in most but not all of a wide variety of Leishmania species and strains examined. MAb CA7AE also bound to both glycoprotein and carbohydrate antigens in medium from L. donovani promastigote cultures. Specifically, mAb CA7AE bound the delipidated form of LPG, the phosphoglycan, and a glycoprotein both of which are released into the medium by the parasite indicating that both share a specific phosphorylated carbohydrate epitope. The epitope was detected in sera from L. donovani-infected (kala-azar positive) patients when mAb CA7AE was used in an antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MAb L157 is specific for a protein that is found associated with L. donovani LPG, the lipophosphoglycan-associated protein (LPGAP). This mAb bound to molecules in all 19 strains (representing 9 species) of Leishmania promastigotes and to molecules in 2 species of Trypanosoma procyclic culture forms. This wide distribution of the LPGAP epitope implies that it may have a conserved function, for example, in the biochemistry or arrangement of parasite surface molecules. In addition, since the LPGAP is involved in the stimulation of T lymphocyte proliferation, its wide distribution amongst different Leishmania species suggests that it may be an ideal molecule for testing as a vaccine for leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Tolson
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, B.C., Canada
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16
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Gebre-Michael T, Pratlong F, Lane RP. Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) duboscqi (Diptera: Phlebotominae), naturally infected with Leishmania major in southern Ethiopia. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1993; 87:10-1. [PMID: 8465376 DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(93)90399-b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In a survey of Leishmania infections in phlebotomine sandflies in visceral leishmaniasis focus at Aba Roba, Segen Valley, southern Ethiopia, Phlebotomus duboscqi was found naturally infected with L. major (zymodeme MON-74). This is the first isolation of L. major from a vector sandfly in Ethiopia, from an area where human and/or rodent infections with L. major are, so far, unknown.
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17
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Abstract
The paper reports on the construction of a kDNA library with DNA isolated from the WHO reference strain of Leishmania tropica IC-305 and subsequent identification and propagation of recombinant plasmids containing L. tropica kDNA sequences. It also shows that the cloned kDNA sequences can be used as genetic markers in restriction endonuclease, Southern blot transfer, and dot blot hybridisation analysis, to identify L. tropica parasites. When the pL 305-I kDNA probe was used in hybridisation experiments with DNAs from various Leishmania reference strains, species and isolates from different host species and from different geographical locations, hybridisation was detected only with L. tropica, thereby suggesting that the insert in recombinant plasmid 305-I was species-specific. The probe is sensitive to the level of 10(3) parasites in dot blot hybridisation. Additionally, orthogonal field alternation gel electrophoresis (OFAGE) and transverse alternating field electrophoresis (TAFE) were used to characterise Leishmania reference strains and Leishmania species. The molecular karyotypes resolved by these techniques showed significant differences in the profiles of chromosomal sized-DNA molecules among species of Leishmania. The DNA karyotypes of the two reference strains of L. tropica (IC-305 and NLB-067), while similar, were nevertheless distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- N N Massamba
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya
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18
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Abstract
The pathological and electron-microscopic features of the first case of autochthonous leishmaniasis affecting a domestic goat in Kenya are described. They are similar to what have been described in man and other animals. Using a short amino-acid sequence common to all the species of leishmania as primers for kDNA synthesis, the intervening sequence of 120 bases was amplified in the goat's tissues by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The leishmania kinetoplast DNA sequence was detected in all the different infected tissues of the goat examined. The sensitivity and specificity of this assay are discussed. The result of the assay used was consistent with the parasite being either L. major or L. aethiopica as the infecting agent. The isoenzyme studies were consistent with L. aethiopica as the strain responsible for this goat's infection. The control of leishmaniasis and its vector must take into account the potential role of animal reservoirs in the environment. Even though Kenya and other East African countries are endemic for kala-azar, the presence of kala-azar in goats is of considerable veterinary public health importance in Africa. Efforts must not be spared to identify and detect other possible animal reservoirs in the subregion. Using DNA amplification techniques, which are sensitive and specific, such as the one described in this paper, sera and other biological fluids and tissues from different animal species should be utilized for detecting additional reservoirs for leishmania parasites particularly in known endemic areas of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- A O Williams
- National Institutes of Health, Fogarty International Center, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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19
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Lawyer PG, Githure JI, Anjili CO, Olobo JO, Koech DK, Reid GD. Experimental transmission of Leishmania major to vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) by bites of Phlebotomus duboscqi (Diptera: Psychodidae). Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1990; 84:229-32. [PMID: 2389312 DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(90)90266-h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental transmission of Leishmania major to vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) was accomplished by bites of Phlebotomus duboscqi sandflies. Three-day-old, laboratory-reared P. duboscqi were fed on leishmanial lesions on hamsters infected with L. major. The flies were re-fed on monkeys 10 d after infection. Five adult male vervet monkeys were used in concurrent transmission trials. Two of the monkeys received subcutaneous inoculations with stationary-phase promastigotes (2 x 10(6) promastigotes in 0.1 ml of medium) on the base of the tail. Putatively infected P. duboscqi were allowed to feed on the remaining 3 monkeys at sites on the base of the tail and on the right eyebrow. Challenges by sandfly bites resulted in multiple leishmanial lesions at all bite sites and, consequently, more lesion area than was produced by needle challenges. Post-feeding dissection of sandflies indicated that multiple lesions could be caused by bites of a single fly, and that probing alone, without imbibing blood, was sufficient for transmission. These first experimental transmissions of L. major to vervets by bites of P. duboscqi demonstrate that sandfly challenge is an efficient alternative to needle challenge, making available a unique Leishmania-sandfly-non-human primate model for use in vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- P G Lawyer
- Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi
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20
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Schnur LF, Jacobson RL. Surface reaction of Leishmania. IV. Variation in the surface membrane carbohydrates of different strains of Leishmania major. ANNALS OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND PARASITOLOGY 1989; 83:455-63. [PMID: 2619362 DOI: 10.1080/00034983.1989.11812372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Eleven strains of Leishmania major were characterized by enzyme electrophoresis, excreted factor serotyping and lectin specificity determination. Nine of the 12 enzyme mobilities were identical for all the strains. Variation was seen in 6PGD, NH and AK. Seven serological entities were recognized, including a non-EF producing strain. A panel of six lectins and sugar inhibitors was used to determine surface membrane carbohydrate configurations, which displayed considerable variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L F Schnur
- Department of Parasitology, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
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21
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Tolson DL, Turco SJ, Beecroft RP, Pearson TW. The immunochemical structure and surface arrangement of Leishmania donovani lipophosphoglycan determined using monoclonal antibodies. Mol Biochem Parasitol 1989; 35:109-18. [PMID: 2475775 DOI: 10.1016/0166-6851(89)90113-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Using intact Leishmania donovani promastigotes or purified L. donovani lipophosphoglycan (LPG) as immunogens, we have derived four LPG-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Two of these MAbs recognize an epitope consisting of the repeating phosphorylated galactose beta-1,4-mannose disaccharide portion of the molecule and cross-reacted with LPG from Leishmania major. These MAbs bound to the surface of living promastigotes of both species. The two other MAbs bound to the phosphosaccharide core structure of LPG and did not bind to the surface of living parasites, presumably due to masking of the core region. Experiments using all four MAbs with an LPG-deficient promastigote mutant indicated that both the repeat epitope and phosphosaccharide core were present in these cells, suggesting that incomplete assembly was responsible for the absence of intact LPG.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Tolson
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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22
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Githure JI, Reid GD, Binhazim AA, Anjili CO, Shatry AM, Hendricks LD. Leishmania major: the suitability of East African nonhuman primates as animal models for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Exp Parasitol 1987; 64:438-47. [PMID: 3678449 DOI: 10.1016/0014-4894(87)90058-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The susceptibility of four species of East African nonhuman primates to experimental infection with Leishmania major was investigated. Four Syke's monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis), two vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops), two baboons (Papio cynocephalus), and two brown bushbabies (Galago garnettii) were each inoculated intradermally on the left eyelid, left ear, and nose with 0.1 ml of medium containing 1 x 10(7) promastigotes of a characterized L. major strain. All the nonhuman primates except the bushbabies developed erythema and conspicuous nodules on the eyelids and ears by 3 weeks PI. The nodules increased rapidly in size and ulceration was evident on the eyelids and ears by 49 days PI in the vervets, Syke's, and baboons. The aspirates were positive in culture or smears at 35, 49, 63, and 77 days PI. No parasites were observed in cultures or smears at 92, 105, 128, 147, and 161 days PI. The lesions in these animals began resolving by 84 days PI and were completely healed by 112 days PI. The exception was one baboon in which lesion healing did not start until around 147 days and was completely healed by 182 days PI. Cultures from the liver failed to demonstrate visceralization of the parasite in any of the animals throughout the 68 weeks of the experiment. Challenge with the same strain of L. major 6 months PI, corresponding to about 3 months after self cure, failed to produce infection in any of these experimental hosts. All the nonhuman primates except the bushbaby when challenged with the same strain of L. major at 12 months PI developed lesions and were positive for parasites at 14 and 28 days PI. Positive cultures were obtained from the eyelid and ear of one vervet up to 42 days PI. However, the lesion sizes in all these animals were smaller than in the initial infection and did not ulcerate. The nodules disappeared within 6 to 8 weeks as compared to 16 weeks in the initial infection. The histopathological appearance of the lesions varied from diffuse infiltration of plasma cells and lymphocytes which increased progressively to granulomata with epitheloid cells. This study shows that the vervets, Syke's, and the baboons are equally susceptible to L. major infection, while bushbabies are refractory. The vervets, Syke's, and baboons demonstrate a self-healing phenomenon within about 3 months which is comparable to that observed in humans infected with L. major. These three species of nonhuman primates are therefore considered as suitable models for drug or vaccine trials against human zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- J I Githure
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
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23
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Morsy TA, Shoukry A, Schnur LF, Sulitzeanu A. Gerbillus pyramidum is a host of Leishmania major in the Sinai Peninsula. ANNALS OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND PARASITOLOGY 1987; 81:741-2. [PMID: 3503651 DOI: 10.1080/00034983.1987.11812180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- T A Morsy
- Ain Shams University Centre for Research and Training on Vectors of Diseases, Cairo, Egypt
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24
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Muigai R, Githure JI, Gachihi GS, Were JB, Leeuwenburg J, Perkins PV. Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major in Baringo District, Kenya. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1987; 81:600-2. [PMID: 3445343 DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(87)90422-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania major was isolated from lesions of a patient suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis in Baringo District of Kenya. Isoenzyme mobilities of this strain were compared with those of L. major, L. donovani, L. aethiopica and L. tropica reference strains and also L. major from a sand fly, Phlebotomus duboscqi, and a rodent, Arvicanthis niloticus, trapped in the same region. The patient's isolate had similar banding patterns to the L. major reference strain and also the rodent and the sand fly strains with the 9 enzymes examined. This is the first report in Kenya of an indigenous case with naturally acquired zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Muigai
- Clinical Research Centre, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi
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