First molecular identification of Leishmania species in a new endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Lorestan, Iran

OBJECTIVE: To identify Leishmania using PCR. METHODS: This study was conducted from April 2009 to March 2011 in order to identify Leishmania species in a new endemic area of CL in Lorestan, Iran. Samples were taken from 62 patients that referred to the health centers in different cities of Lorestan province, the presence of Leishmania was confirmed using direct smear and then grown in NNN media and mass cultured in RPMI 1 640 medium supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum. DNA was extracted from cultured promastigotes and used in ITS-PCR. RESULTS: 45(72.6%) samples out of 62 showed a band in the range of 485 bp and 17 (27.4%) with a band in the range of 626 bp which were similar to standard strains of Leishmania tropica(L. tropica) and Leishmania major(L. major), respectively. 50 (65.80%) of samples were collected from people with no history of travel in at least a year prior to the onset which shows that indigenous source of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Since the vector and reservoir of the two species are different, so precise and extensive control and prevention methods should be designed and carried out.