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. 2014 Apr 9;8(2):139-46.
eCollection 2014 Dec.

Molecular Survey on Detection of Leishmania Infection in Rodent Reservoirs in Jahrom District, Southern Iran

Mohammad Hassan Davami  1 , Mohammad Hossein Motazedian  2 , Mohsen Kalantari  3 , Qasem Asgari  2 , Iraj Mohammadpour  2 , Abdolreza Sotoodeh-Jahromi  1 , Kavous Solhjoo  1 , Morteza Pourahmad  4
Affiliations

Molecular Survey on Detection of Leishmania Infection in Rodent Reservoirs in Jahrom District, Southern Iran

Mohammad Hassan Davami et al. J Arthropod Borne Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL) is endemic in many parts of Iran. Recently its incidence is considerable in different parts of Jahrom district, in Fars Province, southern Iran. The aims of our study were to investigate the prevalence of leishmania infection, and identify and characterize the Leishmania species present, among the rodents by molecular methods in a new endemic focus of ZCL, in an urban and rural area of the Jahrom district, Fars Province, southern Iran.

Methods: From May to November 2010), 55 rodents in four regions of Jahrom focus were caught and checked for leishmania infection by the microscopical examination of liver, spleen, ears, and footpads' smears.

Results: Overall 18 Meriones persicus, 15 Tatera indica, 14 Mus musculus, and 8 Rattus rattus were caught. Totally, four (16.5%) and two (13.3%) of the Me. persicus and Ta. indica, but only one of Mu. musculus and Ra. rattus were found smear-positive for leishmania amastigotes, respectively. In the nested-PCR assay 8 (14.6%) smears were found positive for Leishmania major, none was found positive for any other Leishmania species. Sequencing based detection of Leishmania confirmed the microscopic and PCR findings. All positive specimens were shown 95-96% similarity with L. major Friedlin.

Conclusion: Tatera indica and Me. persicus are incriminated as the main 'reservoir' hosts of L. major in the rural area of Jahrom, moreover, Mu. musculus and Ra. rattus have the minor but remarkable role in the maintenance of the disease in the urban regions of Jahrom focus.

Keywords: Iran; Leishmania; PCR; Rodent; Sequencing.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Map of Iran, showing the locations of Fars Province and the city of Jahrom
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The results of the nested PCR-based amplification of kDNA recovered either from a negative control (lane 2), and the reference samples of Leishmania major (lane 3), or positive and negative smears of liver, spleen, ear, or footpad of Mus musculus (lane 4, 5 and 6), Rattus rattus (lanes 7, 8), Meriones persicus (lanes 9, 10 and 11), and Tatera indica (lanes 12 and 13). Molecular-weight markers were run in lanes 1
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Alignment analysis of the kDNA of Leishmania major isolated from Mus musculus foot-pad, L. major strain Iran J Wmaj (GenBank accession no. AB678349.1) and L. major isolate MHOM/IL/67/LV561 (accession no. AF308685.1). Target sequence of PCR product of Mu. musculus showed 95% similarity with L. major strains, of Iran J Wmaj. Stars indicate the different regions between the isolates
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