Molecular identification of Leishmania species in Taybad district, Iran

ObjectiveTo identify Leishmania species in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in the city of Taybad in Razavi Khorasan Province from April 2012 to March 2013.MethodsAmong 52 persons who referred to Health Center of Taybad with suspected skin lesions, stained slide smears of 35 patients showed positive result for Leishmania. Also polymerase chain reaction assay performed using specific kDNA primers. Data of patients were analyzed with SPSS.ResultsOf 35 positive smears for Leishmania, 21 (60%) belonged to males and 14 (40%) belonged to females. Polymerase chain reaction bands were observed in all 35 samples of which 31 (88.6%) samples showed Leishmania tropica and 4 (11.4%) showed Leishmania major. The highest infected age group was 11–20 years old.ConclusionsBoth anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis and zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis are present in Taybad. Leishmania tropica is the dominant causative species for anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. Further study is recommended to discover probable reservoir and vector for Leishmania major in Taybad.