Molecular Characterization of Leishmania Species Isolated from Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Yemen

Abstract

BackgroundCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease endemic in the tropics and subtropics with a global yearly incidence of 1.5 million. Although CL is the most common form of leishmaniasis, which is responsible for 60% of DALYs lost due to tropical-cluster diseases prevalent in Yemen, available information is very limited.Methodology/Principal FindingsThis study was conducted to determine the molecular characterization of Leishmania species isolated from human cutaneous lesions in Yemen. Dermal scrapes were collected and examined for Leishmania amastigotes using the Giemsa staining technique. Amplification of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1(ITS-1) gene was carried out using nested PCR and subsequent sequencing. The sequences from Leishmania isolates were subjected to phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony methods. The trees identified Leishmania tropica from 16 isolates which were represented by two sequence types.Conclusions/SignificanceThe predominance of the anthroponotic species (i.e. L. tropica) indicates the probability of anthroponotic transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Yemen. These findings will help public health authorities to build an effective control strategy taking into consideration person–to-person transmission as the main dynamic of transmission of CL.

Leishmaniasis in Yemen: a clinicoepidemiological study of leishmaniasis in central Yemen

“…From the current study, CL, MCL, and VL seem to be endemic in central Yemen, and Al Bayda governorate seems to be the area with the highest endemicity. Other reports from Yemen have described the occurrence of CL in Hajjah, Amran, Sa'dah, Sana'a, Al‐Hudeidah, Taiz, Ibb, Mahweet, Raimah, and Al‐Jouf governorates in northern, western, and southern Yemen, of both zoonotic and anthroponotic types, and caused mainly by L. tropica and L. major . Others that cited the endemicity of VL reported most cases as registered in southeast and northern Yemen and as caused mainly by L. infantum and L. donovani …”

“…Other reports from Yemen have described the occurrence of CL Prevalences of different clinical forms of leishmaniasis by age group Figure 5 Destructive mucocutaneous leishmaniasis ulcer complicated by nasal perforation in a female child in Hajjah, Amran, Sadah, Sanaa, Al-Hudeidah, Taiz, Ibb, Mahweet, Raimah, and Al-Jouf governorates in northern, western, and southern Yemen, of both zoonotic and anthroponotic types, and caused mainly by L. tropica and L. major. 10,15,19,[23][24][25] Others that cited the endemicity of VL reported most cases as registered in southeast and northern Yemen and as caused mainly by L. infantum and L. donovani. 19,24 Overall, the prevalence of leishmaniasis was higher among children than adults and was markedly higher in male than in female children and in female than in male adults; a comparable situation was reported from Afghanistan.…”

Comparison of PCR methods for detection of Leishmania siamensis infection

“…Several PCR approaches have been published based on different target genes, i.e., the cysteine protease B (cpb) [14], the cytochrome b (cyt b) [15], the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene [16], the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) [17], the heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) [18], the spliced leader mini-exon [19], the SSU-rRNA gene [20] and the triose-phosphate isomerase (tim) genes [21]. Of these, the ITS1 region of the SSU-rRNA gene has been one of the common genetic markers used to detect Leishmania species in the Old World [13,16,[22][23][24].…”

Specificity of the rapid rK39 antigen-based immunochromatographic test Kalazar Detect(r) in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil

“…This result could be due to the high serum antibody levels that are associated with the greater duration and severity of the cutaneous form of the disease. Moreover, in contrast to other regions of the world, Afghanistan and Iraq exhibit greater phylogenetic proximity between L. donovani, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major (Mahdy et al 2010), which could explain the increased number of cross-reactions between VL and LCL observed in this region.…”