An investigation of a new cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic area in Western Sri Lanka.

Background: The aim was to investigate an emerging focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Gampaha district, Western Sri Lanka.

Methods: Sociodemographics of CL patients in Mirigama, Gampaha district, were compared with controls using a structured questionnaire. Clinical data and geographic positioning system coordinates of patients were recorded.

Molecular Characterization of a Reemergent Parasite in Sri Lanka, Suggestive of a Novel Strain.

Sri Lanka achieved elimination status for lymphatic filariasis in 2016; still, the disease remains a potential public health issue. The present study is aimed at identifying a subperiodic parasite which has reemerged in Sri Lanka after four decades via molecular-based analysis. Polymerase chain reaction performed with pan-filarial primers specific for the internal transcribed spacer region-2 (ITS-2) of the rDNA of filarial parasites isolated from human, canine, and feline blood samples yielded a 615 bp band establishing the species identity as .