Leishmania (Kinetoplastida): Species typing with isoenzyme and PCR–RFLP from cutaneous leishmaniasis patients in Ethiopia

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an increasing public health problem in Ethiopia. There is a concern that it is spreading with increased incidence. In this study, we used isoenzyme electrophoresis and internal transcribed spacer one (ITS1) PCR–RFLP techniques to identify Leishmania species from CL patients in Ethiopia. We obtained isolates from 55 localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL), 3 diffused cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL) and 36 biopsy samples from 34 LCL and 2 DCL cases from All Africa Leprosy and Tuberculosis Rehabilitation and Training Center (ALERT) and clinically diagnosed CL cases from Ochollo village. Both isoenzyme and ITS1 PCR–RFLP techniques showed that Leishmania aethiopica (L. aethiopica) was the aetiologic agent in all cases. Our study also showed that ITS1 PCR–RFLP could identify Leishmania species from biopsy samples and suggests the method could be used for epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis in Ethiopia and for species-specific diagnosis.