Identification of Leishmania species by high-resolution melting analysis in newly emerged foci in Sabzevar, northeast of Iran

AbstractCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a zoonotic disease with 1 to 1.5 million annual incidences. Microscopic examination of the Giemsa stained slides is the most common diagnostic method for CL. However, this method cannot distinguish leishmania species. Hence the present study was conducted to identify leishmania species by high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis in the newly emerged foci of CL in Sabzevar, northeast of Iran. In this cross-sectional study, fifty patients with suspicious cutaneous lesions referring to the designated health center for diagnosis and treatment of CL in Sabzevar during 2017 –2018, were recruited. All collected samples and prepared slides were stained for microscopic examination and then undergone HRM real-time PCR (HRM-PCR) assay to identify species ofLeishmania parasites. The results of HRM-PCR technique showed thatLeishmania major (L. major) was the dominant causative parasite in the newly emerged foci whereasL. tropica (L. tropica) was positive only in two patients. This was the first time that 7SL RNA-HRM-PCR assay was performed to precisely identify leishmania parasites in the northeast of Iran. We proved the newfound foci in which bothL. major andL. tropica were present. In contrast to the recent studies which identified onlyL. major in the region, we showed thatL. tropica was still present.
Source: Journal of Parasitic Diseases - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research