Cutaneous Leishmaniosis Vectors by PCR in the Central County Villages, Qom province

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by sand flies and there are foci of disease in different parts in country. In Qom province, the disease is mostly having been reported from the central county, including Ghanavat and Qomrood villages. Regarding the fact that knowing the sand fly species that transmitting leishmaniasis has a key role in the disease control, this study was performed in order to identify the vectors in central county focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

The present study was done as a descriptive cross- sectional, in 5 villages of the central county of Qom province in 2010. Sand flies were collected biweekly from indoors and outdoors, using 300 sticky traps. The samples were identified with credible keys after slide preparation. In order to identify the disease vector, 150 P. papatasi, 20 P. sergenti and 10 P.caucasicus sand flies were selected and The DNA of sand flies are extracted. The extracted DNA analyzed by Leishmania specific premiers using ITS1 PCR-amplification. The PCR products were digested by Haelll enzyme.

In total 10246 sand flies (4578 from indoors and 5668 from outdoors) were collected by sticky traps and identified. In conclusion, 10 species of sand flies were recognized in the area (5 from Phlebotomus species and 5 from Sergentomyia species). The L.major infection in three caught P.papatasi out of 180 sand flies recognized. Two of the infected sand flies with unfed and one of them had been semi gravid abdominal status.

According to the results, phlebotomus papatasi which is the vector of the zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran and around the world is vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in central county of Qom province.