Geographical distribution and epidemiological features of Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis foci, based on the isoenzyme analysis of 1048 strains

• Published in: Tropical medicine & international health Vol. 14; no. 9; pp. 1071 - 1085
• Main Authors: Pratlong, Francine, Dereure, Jacques, Ravel, Christophe, Lami, Patrick, Balard, Yves, Serres, Ghislaine, Lanotte, Geneviève, Rioux, Jean-Antoine, Dedet, Jean-Pierre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2009; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Africa - epidemiology; Animals; Asia, Central - epidemiology; Asia, Western - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Cluster Analysis; cutaneous leishmaniasis; Dogs; Epidemiology; General aspects; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; isoenzymatic identification; Isoenzymes - analysis; Leishmania - enzymology; Leishmania aethiopica; Leishmania killicki; Leishmania major; Leishmania tropica; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - enzymology; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - epidemiology; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - parasitology; Leshmaniasis; Medical sciences; Old World; Parasitic diseases; Parasitic protozoa; Polymorphism; Protozoal diseases; Psychodidae; Rats; Species Specificity; World; Asia, Central; Asia, Western; Africa; Kinetoplastida; Protozoa; Skin disease; Protozoal disease; Leishmania killicki; Identification; Parasitosis; Epidemiology; Infection; Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Geographic distribution; Leishmania aethiopica; isoenzymatic identification; Tropical medicine; Leishmania tropica; Old World; Leishmania major
• ISSN: 1360-2276; 1365-3156
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2009.02336.x

A series of 1048 Leishmania strains from Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis foci, isolated between 1981 and 2005, were studied by isoenzyme analysis. The strains were obtained from humans, rodents, dogs and sandflies from 33 countries. The four typically dermotropic species, Leishmania major, L. tropica, L. aethiopica and L. killicki, were found. The viscerotropic species L. donovani and L. infantum, which can occasionally be responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis, are not considered in this paper. Leishmania major was the least polymorphic species (12 zymodemes, 638 strains). Leishmania tropica was characterized by a complex polymorphism varying according to focus (35 zymodemes, 329 strains). Leishmania aethiopica, a species restricted to East Africa, showed a high polymorphism, in spite of a limited number of strains (23 zymodemes, 40 strains). Leishmania killicki, mainly restricted to Tunisia had a single zymodeme for 39 strains. Recently a parasite close to L. killicki (one zymodeme, two strains) was isolated in Algeria, which lead us to revise the taxonomic status of this taxon.