| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is prevalent in the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula and previous research has consistently documented the etiologic agent to be Leishmania major. We report the first isolation of Leishmania tropica from human cases of CL in a Northern Sinai community bordering Palestine. Parasite culturing, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gene sequencing, and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses indicate CL cases in this community were caused by either L. major or L. tropica (three cases each). Two wild-caught rodents (Gerbillus pyramidum floweri) were infected with L. tropica. Phlebotomus papatasi sand flies were found harboring L. major, however only non-infected individuals of Phlebotomus sergenti, a vector for L. tropica, were caught. Patients with L. tropica had not traveled from the region in over a year, suggesting these cases are autochthonous. This scenario is consistent with an incursion of L. tropica from bordering countries and raises concerns about expansion of this parasite further into Egypt.
Received January 25, 2009. Accepted for publication March 31, 2009.
Acknowledgments: We thank Shabaan El-Hossary and Hany Kamal, Research and Training Centers on Vectors of Diseases, (RTC) for their help during the field study and Awni Farag, El Barth local Hospital, MoHP, Rafah Northern Sinai, for supporting patient sample collections. Comments from Dr. Bode greatly improved the manuscript.
Financial support: Molecular analyses were supported by grants to NAMRU-3.
Disclosure: Two field trips to the study site, collection of sand flies, animals, and maintenance Leishmania parasites and animals at the RTC were supported by Ain Shams University. Clinical investigations and Leishmania parasite isolation protocols were approved by the Ain Shams University IRB and were conducted in accord with the international regulations and guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki (World medical association declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects). Every patient first signed a consent form. Care and use of animals followed the Animal guidelines of CIOMS 1985. The last three authors are employees of the U.S. Government and Title 17 U.S.C.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, the U.S. Government, or the Egyptian Government.
105 provide that "Copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government." Title 17 U.S.C. 101 defines a U.S. Government work as a work prepared by a military service member or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties.
* Address correspondence to Jeffrey T. Villinski, Vector Biology Research Program, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, PSC 452 Box 141, FPO AE 09835, USA. E-mail: jeff.villinski{at}med.navy.mil
Authors’ addresses: Magdi G. Shehata, Abdallah M. Samy, Said A. Doha, and Adel R. Rahmy, Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt, Tel: +2-02-2482-1096 ext. 442, Fax: +2-02-2482-1096, E-mails: mgdshe-hata{at}yahoo.com, drabedooo{at}hotmail.com, doha57{at}yahoo.com, and arfahmy{at}gmail.com. Rania M. Kaldas, Barry D. Furman, and Jeffrey T. Villinski, Vector Biology Research Program, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, PSC 452 Box 141, FPO AE 09835, USA, Tel: +2-02-2348-0279, Fax: +2-02-2342-3090, E-mails: Rania.Kaldas.eg{at}med.navy.mil, Barry.Furman{at}med.navy.mil, and jeff.villinski{at}med.navy.mil.
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
