Sequence analysis and PCR-RFLP profiling of the hsp70 gene as a valuable tool for identifying Leishmania species associated with human leishmaniasis in Brazil.

Since the first report of the genus Leishmania, many species have been described. In Brazil, human leishmaniasis has been associated with eight Leishmania species, of which seven are responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). In some endemic areas, CL is associated with only one species; however, in other areas, such as the Amazon, the etiology of CL can be assigned to many species.

Development of a multilocus microsatellite typing approach for discriminating strains of Leishmania (Viannia) species.

A multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) approach based on the analysis of 15 independent loci has been developed for the discrimination of strains belonging to different Viannia species. Thirteen microsatellite loci were isolated de novo from microsatellite-enriched libraries for both Leishmania braziliensis and L. guyanensis.