E. Javadian

Leishmania major MON-26 isolated from naturally infected Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Isfahan Province, Iran

In a survey of leishmania infections in phlebotomine sandflies in one of the most important focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) at Borkhar, a rural district north of the city of Isfahan, central Iran, Phlebotomus (phlebotomus) papatasi Scopoli from gerbil and jird burrows were naturally infected with Leishmania major zymodeme MON-26. This is the first isolation and characterization of L. major from P. papatasi in Iran, from an area where human and rodent infections with L. major have been present for a very long time.

First Detection of Leishmania infantum in Phlebotomus (Larroussius) major (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Iran

Abstract Ghir-Karzin district is one of the most important endemic foci of visceral leishmaniaisis (VL) in Fars province of southern Iran. To identify the vector(s) of Leishmania in this focus, a total of 2,539 sand flies were collected during June to September 2005. Eleven species (six Phlebotomus and five Sergentomyia) were identified, of which Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli and Phlebotomus major Annandale were the first (37.4%) and third (11.2%) most common species, respectively. Natural leptomonad infections were observed in two P. papatasi (4.25%) and three P. major (6.65%) specimens on dissection and microscopic examination. Using a Leishmania genus–specific standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR; primers RV1-RV2) and a species-specific nested-PCR (primers LINR4, LIN17, and LIN 19), Leishmania infantum and Leishmania major kinetoplast minicircle DNA was detected in 6 of 72 P. major (8.3%) and 4 of 65 P. papatasi (6.1%), respectively. This is the first detection of L. infantum in P. major, implicating this sand fly as a probable vector of VL in Iran.

The isolation of Leishmania major from Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) caucasicus, in Isfahan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran

As part of a general survey of leishmaniasis and sandflies in the focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) at Borkhar, a rural district north of the city of Isfahan, central Iran, Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) caucasicus Marzinowsky from gerbil and jird burrows were found naturally infected with Leishmania major, zymodeme MON-26 (= LON-1). This is the first characterized isolate of L. major from a sandfly vector in Iran.

FIELD TRIAL FOR THE CONTROL OF ZOONOTIC CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIOSIS IN BADROOD, IRAN

BACKGROUND Due to the resurgence of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniosis (ZCL) in some nonendemic areas of Iran, extensive studies have been conducted on the epidemiology of the disease in different parts of the country in recent years. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of rodent control on the reduction of the incidence of ZCL in an endemic area in Badrood, Iran. PATIENTS AND METHODS A survey was carried out in a circle around two villages between April 1997 and January 1999. The control strategy adopted in 1997 consisted of the destruction of the colonies of gerbilline rodents by digging in a radius of 500 m from houses in the intervention area. Opened burrows were baited with zinc phosphide. One village was used as control. Evaluation was made in 1998 and no other control measures were carried out in the area. Case findings were done by house-to-house visits once every season during 1997 and 1998, and all the inhabitants of the selected villages were examined. RESULTS The average reduction of rodent holes was calculated at 87.4% one year after the first baiting in the intervention area. Changes in the number of rodent holes and the incidence of the disease in the intervention and control villages were statistically significant (P-value <0.000001). CONCLUSION Our evaluation demonstrated that the control program reduced the incidence of ZCL 12-fold in the treated village compared to the control at the end of the first year of operation, and to more than one-fifth of its original level after two years. The results show that the field control method is very effective in destroying rodents and reducing the incidence of ZCL on a small scale and in special circumstances.