A Leishmania infantum enzymatic variant, causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in north Tunisia

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 85; no. 3; pp. 370 - 371
• Main Authors: Gramiccia, M., Ben-Ismail, R., Gradoni, L., Rachid, M.S.Ben, Said, M.Ben
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.1991; Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Leishmania donovani - enzymology; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - enzymology; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - parasitology; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - enzymology; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - parasitology; Leshmaniasis; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Parasitic diseases; Protozoal diseases; Tropical medicine; Tunisia; Tunisia; Infection; Human; Protozoa; Protozoal disease; Skin disease; Africa; Rhizoflagellata; Skin; Leishmaniasis; Tunisia
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(91)90294-9

The present report, and those concerning the characterization of Leishmania stocks isolated from human leishmaniasis cases in other Mediterranean countries, confirm that L. infantum sensu lato is responsible for both visceral and cutaneous disease. The finding of L. infantum MON24 in Tunisia reveals a wide geographical distribution of this zymodeme (continental and insular Italy and north Africa). This distribution differs from that of another widely diffused dermotropic L. infantum zymodeme, MON29, in that the latter has so far been found only in France and Spain.