Identification of Leishmania Species for Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Gonabad, Bardaskan and Kashmar, Central Khorasan, 2015

Abstract

Background: About 90% of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases are reported from 7 countries including Iran. In this study, the cutaneous leishmaniasis species causing CL in Gonabad, Bardaskan, Kashmar cities in central Khorasan (Iran) were identified by kDNA-PCR. Methods:During the study, 93 suspected patients with CL, who were referred to the dermatology research center in these cities, were evaluated based on age, clinical forms, and place of residence. Direct microscopy was employed for parasitological diagnosis and PCR from skin ulcers performed using specific kDNA primers. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software.Results: Among 93 individuals with skin ulcers suspected to CL, the results of 81 direct smears were positive. PCR bands were observed in 84 examined samples, of which 68 (81%) samples were identified for Leishmania tropica and 16 (19%) samples for L. major. 12 patients were from Bardaskan with 10 cases of L. tropica, 23 patients from Gonabad with 20 cases of L. tropica, and 49 patients from Kashmar with 38 cases of L. tropica. Most of the lesions were located on hands (37%), the most clinical feature was papule (75%), and most of patients were 21 -30 years old. Conclusions:Previous epidemiologic studies have indicated that anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is the only dominant CL in the center and south of Khorasan. However, this study introduced new foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in these areas. Kashmar city was introduced as a new focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.

The Geographical Distribution of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Causative Agents in Iran and Its Neighboring Countries, A Review

“…In another study of 164 CL cases from Torghabe-Shandiz, southwest of Mashhad city, all patients were infected by L. tropica (61). Also, 10/12, 20/23, 38/49, and 53/60 CL patients from Bardaskan, Gonabad, Kashmar, and Torbat-e-Heydarieh cities and counties, respectively, which are located in the central and southern regions of this province, were infected with L. tropica (62,63).…”

Changes in the Epidemiology of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Northeastern Iran

“…Moreover changes in the climate and in people lifestyles or the lack of immunity in people who immigrate to endemic areas are other risk factors that can increase the incidence of CL in a paerticular area (19,34,35). Similar reasons for the epidemiological changes listed above are likely to underpin the variations in the distribution of Leishmania species observed in Torbat-e Heydarieh, Bardaskan, Kashmar, Khaf, Taybad, Quechan and Chenaran (34,41,42,44). The presence of both L. tropica and L. major species as causes of CL in Sarakhs might be related to its location near an international railroad and in proximity to the border with Turkmenistan; increased movement of people through this region since 2013 is likely to be an additional factor in the observed epidemiological pattern of leishmaniasis (31).…”

“…The first step in any control and prevention program for leishmaniasis is the identification of the infectious agents, reservoirs and vectors (35). In recent years, many studies have been conducted in Khorasan-Razavi province with the aim to refine the immunological and molecular diagnosis of the causative Leishmania species (4,6,34,35,(39)(40)(41)(42)46). The aim of this review was to design a new epidemiological picture of CL, using data from several studies performed in Khorasan-Razavi province to identify the boundary shifts for causative agents of CL during a twenty-year period as the basis to new insights for control and prevention measures.…”

Species Identification of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Quchan, Northeast of Iran

“…According to the present findings, L. major is responsible for leishmaniasis in Esfarayen (based on an unpublished study) and Sabzevar (7), as ZCL was reported in all the 153 patients in the latter city. Mashhad and most of the cities in Khorasan-e Razavi are an endemic region for ACL (7,8). In Iran, ZCL is endemic in the rural regions of the west, the northeast, the center and the southwest, especially in Khuzestan Province.…”