Dergi makalesi Açık Erişim

Molecular screening of Leishmania spp. infection and bloodmeals in sandflies from a leishmaniasis focus in southwestern Turkey

2017    Karakus, M.; Pekagirbas, M.; Demir, S.; Eren, H.; Toz, S.; Ozbel, Y.

Leishmaniasis is an arthropod-borne disease that affects approximately 2 million people worldwide annually. The aims of this study were to detect the presence of Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) DNA and the feeding preferences of probable vector species in an endemic focus of Leishmania infantum in Turkey. Entomological sampling was performed in August and October 2015 in Aydn province, where cases of human and canine leishmaniasis have been reported previously. A total of 1059 sandfly specimens comprising nine species belonging to two genera, Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia (both: Diptera: Psychodidae), and five subgenera of the Phlebotomus genus (Phlebotomus, Paraphlebotomus, Larroussius, Adlerius and Transphlebotomus) were collected in five villages. Among all Phlebotomus specimens, Phlebotomus neglectus (39%) was noted as the most abundant species, followed by Phlebotomus tobbi (18%). LeishmaniaDNA was detected in pools from P.neglectus, P.tobbi and Sergentomyia dentata by kDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). LeishmaniaDNA from Phlebotomus specimens was identified as L.infantum, but LeishmaniaDNA from Sergentomyia spp. could not be identified to species level by ITS-1 real-time PCR. The detection of LeishmaniaDNA in wild-caught P.neglectus and the high percentage (24.2%) of human DNA in engorged specimens suggests that P.neglectus is probably an important vector species for L.infantum in Aydn province.