Leishmania infecting man and wild animals in Saudi Arabia. 2. Leishmania arabica n. sp.

Abstract

Leishmania arabica n. sp., found in the rodent Psammomys obesus in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, is described. This parasite, which has also been found in a feral dog in the same area, is distinguished from the common species of the Eastern Province, L. major zymodeme LON-4, on the basis of its very distinctive isoenzyme profile (zymodeme LON-64) and kinetoplast DNA. It is morphologically indistinguishable from L. major. The new parasite has not been found in man to date and its vector is so far unknow…