Therapeutic effect of sodium selenite and zinc sulphate as sup-plementary with meglumine antimoniate[glucantime] against cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/C Mice

Successful therapy of leishmaniasis depends on effective cellular immune response. We evaluated the effectiveness of sodium selenite and zinc sulphate as known immunomodulator materials, in combination with Glucantime in treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions resulting from Leishmania major in susceptible animal model. Thirty three female mice weighing 18-20 g at the age of 7-8 week infected with L. major were randomly divided into 3 groups: group1: treated by sodium selenite [0.35 mg/kg for 30 days], group2: treated by zinc sulphate [2 mg/kg for 30 days] and group3: treated by distilled water [0.01 ml/gr body weight for 30 days] as control. All groups received Glucantime as a standard anti- leishmanial agent [60 mg/kg, ip] for 14 days. To assess the results of treatment measurement of lesions size and parasitological tests were done weekly. The lesion sizes increased continuously in sodium selenite group .Although, in zinc group did not increase compared to baseline but with considering the time- group interaction there was no significant difference between zinc and control group during this study. There was no difference between lesion sizes and Leishmanial loads in the interventional and control groups, respectively. Sodium selenite and zinc sulphate at mentioned doses and duration of treatment did not show any treatment effect on cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. major in BALB/c mice. Increasing the dose of supplements and considering the follow up period after treatment can help more certain conclusion

Sand fly surveillance within an emerging epidemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeastern Iran

Cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major has become a hot topic in Iran. The objective of this study was to determine some ecological aspects of sand flies in the study area. Sand flies were collected biweekly from indoors and outdoors fixed places in the selected villages, using 30 sticky paper traps from the beginning to the end of the active season of 2006 in Kerman Province, south of Iran. The flies were mounted and identified. Some blood fed and gravid female sand flies of rodent burrows and indoors were dissected and examined microscopically for natural promastigote infection of Leishmania parasite during August to September. In total, 2439 specimens comprising 8 species [3 Phlebotomus and 5 Sergentomyia] were identified. The most common sand fly was P. papatasi and represented 87.1% of sand flies from indoors and 57.2% from outdoors. The activity of the species extended from April to end October. There are two peaks in the density curve of this species, one in June and the second in August. Natural promastigote infection was found in P. papatasi [12.7%]. Phlebotomus papatasi is considered as a probable vector among gerbils and to humans with a high percentage of promastigote infection in this new focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The Bahraman area which until recently was unknown as an endemic area seems now to represent a focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission in Iran

Study of certain epidemiological aspects of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Khatam County, Yazd Province, Iran

Zoonotic Cutaneous leishmaniasis [ZCL] is one of the most important parasitic diseases in Iran and common in rural districts of half of the 30 provinces of the country. In recent years, ZCL has become a serious and increasing public health problem in Yazd province. Following the epidemic of CL in Khatam county of Yazd province, this study was carried out to determine the animal reservoir hosts and human infection in 2005-2006. 300 households were examined in February 2006 and corresponding forms were completed for each household during a house-to-house visit. Rodents were caught by 20 live traps, biweekly from late August to late November 2006. The rodents were identified morphologically and 4 impression smears were prepared from the edge of their ear lobes. The causative agent of the disease was isolated from humans and rodents characterized by RAPD-PCR method. The rate of ulcers and scars of ZCL among the inhabitants was 4.8% and 9.8%, respectively. Leishmania major was also isolated from human indigenous cases in Khatam County. In the study, Meriones libycus, Tatera indica and Rhombomys opimus were recorded and all of them were infected with leishmaniasis. Leishmania major was isolated and identified from R. opimus, too. Regarding the results of the present study, ZCL is prevalent in Khatam. It seems that R. opimus is the main reservoir host of the disease and M.libycus and T.indica also maintain this ZCL focus

Emergence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major in a New Focus of Southern Iran

Reports from the health center of Kerman Province, southern Iran showed an increasing of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases in Orzuieh Rural District, southwest of the province in 2003. The report encouraged the team to carry out an epidemiological survey in the district during 2003-2004. The objectives were to determine the ecology of sand flies, potential reservoir hosts and human infection. A total of 1075 sand flies were collected by sticky traps and 7 species of sand flies were identified. They comprised 3 species of the genus Phlebotomus [P. papatasi, P. mongolensis and P. bergeroti] and 4 species of the genus Sergentomyia [S. sintoni, S. clydei, S. tiberiadis and S. Baghdadis]. P. papatasi was the predominant species of the genus Phlebotomus in indoors [90.3%] and outdoors [50.2%]. Susceptibility tests on P. papatasi with DDT 4%. Showed that the species was susceptible to this insecticide. A total of 13 rodents consist of Tatera indica [76.9%] and Nesokia indica [23.1%] were collected. A study of prevalence among 2441 inhabitants in four villages showed a rate of 1.1% for active lesions and 10.4% for scars during November- December 2003. In a separate study examination of 1662 school children aged 6-12 years old showed 1.14% for ulcers and 14.7% for scars at the same time. The Leishmania parasites were isolated from man and characterized as Leishmania major using RAPD-PCR method. It seems that cutaneous leishmaniasis due to L. major [CLM] has been prevailed in the district

Some ecological aspects of phlebotomine sand flies in an endemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran

Following annual report of new cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis from different areas of Kuhpayeh district, Esfahan County, an investigation was carried out on some ecological aspects of Phlebotomine sand flies during 2000-2002. Sand flies were collected biweekly from outdoor and indoor resting places with the aid of 30 sticky traps from the beginning to the end of the active season. Female sand flies from rodent burrows were dissected and examined for the presence of pro-mastigote infection. Blood meals of engorged sand flies were identified by ELISA method. Totally, 4993 sand flies were collected and identified. The following species were found indoors: P. papatasi, P. sergenti, P. caucasicus, P. mongolensis, P. alexandri, P. ansarii, P. major, P. kandelakii, S. sintoni, and the subsequent species were found outdoors: P. papatasi, P sergenti, P. caucasicus, P. mongolensis, P. ansarii, P. major, S. sintoni, S. dentata, S. pawlowskyi. The sand flies active season began from May till October in this region. Natural promastigote infections observed in 1.06% of P. papatasi and also in one out of four of P. caucasicus. The human and rodent blood indices in P. papatasi were 61.9% and 20.69%, respectively. It seems that P. papatasi is the probable vector among rodents and also transmit Leishmania major, the causative agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis to man, and P. caucasicus transmit the agent of the disease among rodents

Anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in nonendemic quarters of a centeral city in Iran

The aim of this study was to determine the status of the cutaneous leishmaniasis in some nonendemic quarters in the city of Isfahan, Isfahan Province, central Iran. A total of 16380 primary school students aged 6-17 years old and a total population of 2892 persons in 700 households in four nonendemic quarters were questioned and examined for the presence of ulcer or scar. Sand flies were collected using sticky paper traps. A rate of 4.18% for scars and 0.3% for active lesions in the primary school children were showed. The households showed a prevalence of 11.3% for scars and 0.5% for ulcers. Two thousand and seventy four sand flies were collected and 10 species were identified. The most common sand fly species in indoor and outdoor resting places was P.sergenti. The present investigation revealed that Anthroponotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is in an epidemic status in these quarters. Human is considered the main reservoir and transmission is believed to be from human to human by P.sergenti