First detection of Leishmania killicki (Kinetoplastida, Trypanosomatidae) in Ctenodactylus gundi (Rodentia, Ctenodactylidae), a possible reservoir of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia

• Published in: Parasites & vectors Vol. 4; no. 1; p. 159
• Main Authors: Jaouadi, Kaouther, Haouas, Najoua, Chaara, Dhekra, Gorcii, Mohamed, Chargui, Najla, Augot, Denis, Pratlong, Francine, Dedet, Jean-Pierre, Ettlijani, Selim, Mezhoud, Habib, Babba, Hamouda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Springer-Verlag 11-08-2011; BioMed Central Ltd; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Animal Structures - parasitology; Animals; blood; bone marrow; cutaneous leishmaniasis; Disease Reservoirs; DNA, Protozoan - chemistry; DNA, Protozoan - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; glass; human diseases; humans; internal transcribed spacers; Leishmania - classification; Leishmania - isolation & purification; Leishmania major; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - transmission; liver; lymph nodes; parasites; Parasitology - methods; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Psammomys obesus; restriction fragment length polymorphism; Rodentia - parasitology; rodents; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Short Report; spleen; Tunisia; Tunisia
• ISSN: 1756-3305; 1756-3305
• DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-4-159

BACKGROUND: Leishmania killicki was originally described in 1980 in southeast Tunisia. It was also recently reported in Lybia and Algeria. Nevertheless, neither vector nor reservoirs of this parasite are known. The identification of the vector and the animal reservoir host of L. killicki is critical for the establishment of an efficient control strategy. FINDINGS: blood, popliteal lymph node, spleen, bone marrow, liver and skin were collected from 50 rodents in 2009 in south western Tunisia. Samples were smeared onto glass slides, cultured on NNN medium and tested by polymerase chain reaction for Leishmania detection. Parasites were detected by PCR from 10 Psammomys obesus and from two Ctenodactylus gundi. Parasite identification was performed simultaneously by internal transcribed spacer 1 PCR-RFLP and by PCR sequencing. Both Leishmania major and Leishmania killicki were identified from infected Psammomys and Ctenodactylus gundi respectively. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of Leishmania killicki identified from Ctenodactylus gundi in Tunisia. This result supports the assumption that C. gundi is a potential reservoir for Leishmania killicki.