Species identification and phylogenetic analysis of Leishmania isolated from patients, vectors and hares in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, The People's Republic of China

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 15; no. 12; p. e0010055
• Main Authors: Chen, Yun-Fu, Liao, Li-Fu, Wu, Na, Gao, Jiang-Mei, Zhang, Peng, Wen, Yan-Zi, Hide, Geoff, Lai, De-Hua, Lun, Zhao-Rong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01-12-2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Biology and Life Sciences; Causes of; Child; Child, Preschool; China - epidemiology; Computer and Information Sciences; Disease control; Epidemics; Female; Genes; Genetic aspects; Geographical isolation; Haplotypes; Hares - parasitology; Hsp70 protein; Humans; Identification and classification; Infant; Insect Vectors - classification; Insect Vectors - parasitology; Laboratory animals; Leishmania; Leishmania - classification; Leishmania - genetics; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - parasitology; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - veterinary; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; N-Acetylglucosamine; N-Acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate; N-Acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Parasitological research; Pathogens; Patients; Phosphates; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Psychodidae - classification; Psychodidae - parasitology; Risk factors; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Species; Species identification; Spleen; Surveying; Tropical climate; Tropical diseases; Vector-borne diseases; Vectors; Visceral leishmaniasis; Young Adult; Zoonoses; China
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010055

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been declared as one of the six major tropical diseases by the World Health Organization. This disease has been successfully controlled in China, except for some areas in the western region, such as the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, where both anthroponotic VL (AVL) and desert type zoonotic VL (DT-ZVL) remain endemic with sporadic epidemics.
Here, an eleven-year survey (2004-2014) of Leishmania species, encompassing both VL types isolated from patients, sand-fly vectors and Tarim hares (Lepus yarkandensis) from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region was conducted, with a special emphasis on the hares as a potential reservoir animal for DT-ZVL. Key diagnostic genes, ITS1, hsp70 and nagt (encoding N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase) were used for phylogenetic analyses, placing all Xinjiang isolates into one clade of the L. donovani complex. Unexpectedly, AVL isolates were found to be closely related to L. infantum, while DT-ZVL isolates were closer to L. donovani. Unrooted parsimony networks of haplotypes for these isolates also revealed their relationship.
The above analyses of the DT-ZVL isolates suggested their geographic isolation and independent evolution. The sequence identity of isolates from patients, vectors and the Tarim hares in a single DT-ZVL site provides strong evidence in support of this species as an animal reservoir.