Molecular Characterisation of Leishmania Species from Stray Dogs and Patients in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica cause cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans and dogs in several parts of the world, with a large number of cases recorded in the Middle East. However, when they occur in sympatry, the role of each species of Leishmania in the epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is not clear. Methods: To determine the frequency of occurrence and to identify the species of Leishmania that infect humans and stray dogs in Riyadh and Al-Qaseem (Saudi Arabia), 311 stray dogs and 27 human patients who were suspected for Leishmania were examined for CL by a nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR).Results: The use of nPCR detected seven patients (25.9%) who were positive for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Five patients from Riyadh were infected by L. major and two from Al-Qaseem by L. tropica. In addition, five dogs (1.6%) were infected by L. tropica. Conclusions: This is one of the first molecular studies of leishmaniasis to be conducted in Saudi Arabia. The relationship between the sand-fly vectors and the reservoirs of both Leishmania spp. is still scarcely known in this region, and epidemiological investigations are required in order to progress towards control and prevention of the infection in canine and human populations.