Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by flagellate protozoa of the genus Leishmania. In Morocco, anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania tropica is considered as a public health problem, but its epidemiology has not been fully elucidated. The main objective of this study was to detect Leishmania infection in the vector, Phlebotomus sergenti and in human skin samples, in the El Hanchane locality, an emerging focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in central Morocco.
Methods: A total of 643 sand flies were collected using CDC miniature light traps and identified morphologically. Leishmania species were characterized by ITS1 PCR-RFLP and ITS1-5.8S rRNA gene nested-PCR of samples from 123 females of Phlebotomus sergenti and 7 cutaneous leishmaniasis patients.
Results: The sand flies collected consisted of 9 species, 7 of which belonged to the genus Phlebotomus and two to the genus Sergentomyia. Phlebotomus sergenti was the most predominant (76.67%).By ITS1 PCR-RFLP Leishmania tropica was found in three Phlebotomus sergenti females and four patients (4/7). Using nested PCR Leishmania tropica was identified in the same three Phlebotomus sergenti females and all the 7 patients. The sequencing of the nested PCR products recognized 7 haplotypes, of which 6 have never been described.
Conclusions: This is the first molecular detection and identification of Leishmania tropica in human skin samples and Phlebotomus sergenti in support of its vector status in El Hanchane. The finding of seven Leishmania tropica haplotypes underscores heterogeneity of this species at a high level in Morocco.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-6-217 | DOI Listing |
Animals (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Computer Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
Sandflies, small insects primarily from the Psychodidae family, are commonly found in sandy, tropical, and subtropical regions. Most active during dawn and dusk, female sandflies feed on blood to facilitate egg production. In doing so, they can transmit infectious diseases that may cause symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle pain, anemia, skin rashes, and ulcers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
November 2024
ICMR- Vector Control Research Centre, Field Station, Kottayam, Kerala, 686003, India.
India is accelerating efforts to eliminate kala-azar by aligning its National Kala-Azar Elimination Program with the World Health Organization's (WHO) roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) 2021-2030. Elimination relies on comprehensive vector surveillance and integrated vector management. This study aimed to conduct nationwide entomological surveillance to detect Leishmania donovani in phlebotomine sand flies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFData Brief
December 2024
College of Veterinary Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030 Irbid 22110 Jordan.
Sandflies serve as carriers for numerous tropical diseases, including leishmaniasis, bartonellosis, and sandfly fever. Furthermore, sandflies are species-specific when it comes to transmitting corresponding pathogen species. Hence, accurate classification and identification of sandfly species and gender are essential for various purposes such as disease monitoring and control, population management, research and development, and epidemiological investigations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasite
September 2024
Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Unit, Department of Animal Pathology and Public Health, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco.
Blood-feeding arthropods are involved in the transmission of several pathogens that have a major impact on public health. Entomological investigations highlighted the composition, abundance, and diversity of flying hematophagous arthropods at four dog shelters located in central Morocco during an eight-month study, with the aim of discussing their vectorial roles and assessing the risk of these shelters as foci for zoonotic diseases. Monitoring of the arthropod fauna for 64 catch nights resulted in the collection of 2,321 biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), 570 mosquitoes (Culicidae), and 475 sand flies (Psychodidae).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Negl Trop Dis
September 2024
Division of Medical Zoology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.
Phlebotomine sand flies are vectors of the protozoan parasite Leishmania spp. Although the intestinal microbiota is involved in a wide range of biological and physiological processes and has the potential to alter vector competence, little is known about the impact of host species and environment on the gut microbiome. To address this issue, a comparative analysis of the microbiota of sand fly vector populations of Leishmania major and L.
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