Detection and identification of Leishmania parasites within sand flies using kDNA, rDNA and CPB loci

Molecular epidemiology of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is currently used widely for different objectives such as vector incrimination studies. In this study three different loci including kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), ribosomal DNA (rDNA), and Cystein protease B (CPB) of Leishmania parasite genome were used for detection and identification of natural infection of sand flies of Germi district of Ardebil province, the most important VL or Kala-azar foci in Iran. The results showed that the three loci of kDNA, rDNA and CPBs are respectively more appropriate for leptomonad infection/initial screening, identification of the L.donovani complex, and discrimination of the species complex. It was also verified that both members of the complex, L. donovani and L. infantum, are present in the study area and are transmitted to the hosts by