Molecular Identification of Leishmania Species in Patient with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Area of Fars Province, Southern Iran

Abstract

The Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) contains a range of factors, which provide different patterns of transmission that make it difficult to control. The aim of this study was to identify the different species of Leishmania in the Jahrom district of Fars province, southern Iran. This descriptive study was done on CL suspected cases who were referential to the Reference of Jahrom Health Center laboratory in 2017 from all different zones mentioned. Demographic variables (age, sex, location, number and place of wounds) was recorded by a questionnaire. The blood smears were checked for the existence of amastigotes by light microscopy. After microscopic examination smears were extract DNA and used in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Totally 165 slide samples checked were found to be positive for amastigotes via microscopy and positive for leishmanial DNA in the PCR. two (1.2%) of the slide samples gave the 750-bp indicative of Leishmania tropica and 163 samples (98.8%) gave the 560-bp indicative of Leishmania major. Although the actually that both species of CL are common in Iran, but our results showed that in Jahrom district the main specie was L. major. Thus, this fact displays the importance of reservoir rodents in programs of CL control in this County.