Serological Evaluation of Cutaneous Leishmania tropica Infection in Northern Israel

Abstract

spp. are medically important unicellular parasites transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. The World Health Organization recently highlighted the importance of reliable diagnostic tools for leishmaniasis. Our study of human infection was conducted in two endemic foci of in the Galilee region, northern Israel. Elevated anti- antibodies were present in the majority (78.6%) of -PCR positive individuals. Moreover, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed high sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values (ranging between 73% and 79%), thus fulfilling the basic requirement for future development of a serodiagnostic and screening tool. The anti-sand fly saliva antibodies used as biomarkers of exposure reflected the composition of the local sand fly fauna as well as the abundance of individual species. High levels of antibodies against vector salivary proteins may further indicate frequent exposure to sand flies and consequently a higher probability of transmission.

Cannabis, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine: Cannabinoids’ Role in Public Health, Food Safety, and Translational Medicine

“…Translational studies of leishmaniasis in both human and veterinary patients offer great potential, since the condition is endemic in 88 countries (including Europe 107 and Israel [108][109][110][111] ) and on four continents: "an estimated 12 million cases of leishmaniasis exist worldwide with an estimated number of 1.5-2 million new cases occurring annually; 1-1.5 million cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis and 500,000 cases of visceral leishmaniasis." 112 Leishmania is becoming more urban and peri-urban and is not limited to rural areas.…”

PpSP32-like protein as a marker of human exposure to Phlebotomus argentipes in Leishmania donovani foci in Bangladesh

“…Numerous studies have already proven the importance and benefits of using the human anti-sand fly saliva antibody response as a marker of vector exposure ( Rohousova et al, 2005 , Rohousova et al, 2018 , Souza et al, 2010 , Teixeira et al, 2010 , Marzouki et al, 2015 , Mondragon-Shem et al, 2015 , Kammoun-Rebai et al, 2017 ). All of these studies used extract, lysate or homogenate of salivary glands as an antigen to detect the anti-saliva antibodies.…”