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Isolation of Leishmania major from Phlebotomus papatasi in Tunisia
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Isolation of Leishmania major from Phlebotomus papatasi in Tunisia R. BEN ISMAIL’,M. GRAMICCIA',L. GRADONI', H. HELAL’ AND M. S. BEN RACHID' ‘D~partement de Parasitologie, Facultd de Mkdecine de Tunis, Tunisia; ‘Laboratorio di Parassitologia, Istituto Superiore di Sanith, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; ‘Direction des Soins de Sank de Base, Minis&e de la Sank Publique, Tunis, Tunisia
An important outbreak of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is occurring in central and in south Tunisia (BEN ISMAIL et al., 1986). Surveys of the phlebotomine fauna (HELAL et al., 1987)revealed that the distribution of Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) papatasi (Scopoli, 1786)is in accord with the distribution of the diseasein man. This specieswas shown to be the most abundant, especially in rodent burrows and human dwellings. Its anthropophily was confirmed by man-baited catches. Recentlv. Leishmaniu momastigotes were found in the midg& of two P.dapatasi &males (out of 24), caught indoors, in the active ZCL focus of Douara (25 km from Metlaoui, south-west Tunisia) (BEN ISMAIL et al., 1987). 2 stocks (IPAPITN/86/ISS248-Pap1 and IPAP/TN/86/ISS249-Pap2) were isolated in brainheart infusion agar medium, 50 d after inoculation of the Dromastieotesinto 2 BalbX mice. A human stock of ?CL (~HOM/TN/86/ISS240-METl) was collected in a dwelling 50m from the collection site of the infected sandflies. Isoenzyme typing was performed according to MAAZOUNer al. (1981) and MILES et al. (1980). 13 enzymes were examined: PGM, PGI, ASAT, G6PD, 6PGD, ME, MDH, NHI, NHZ, MPI, IDH, FH and HK (seeMILES et al., 1980, for full enzyme names). 4 reference strains of dermotropic Leishmania were used: MHOMITN/80/LEM163 (L.tropica, Montpellier zymodeme [MON] 8), MHOM/SUI73/5-ASKH (L. major, MON 4), MHOMIMA/Sl/LEM265 (L. major, MON 25) and MHOM/DZ/83/LEM417 (L. infanturn, MON24). All the stocks from Douara were
indistinguishable from L. major MON 25, which has already been reported in man (13 stocks) from different ZCL foci in Tunisia (BEN ISMAIL. et al., 1986) and in Me&w shawi (3 stocks) from one of these foci (RIoUX et al., 1986). These findings. and the data reDorted bv HELAL et al. (1987), sugi&t that P. papuiasi is a-“grade 3” vector of ZCL in Tunisia, according to the criteria discussed by KILLICK-KENDRICK & WARD (1981). References Ben-Isma’il, R., Gradoni, L., Gramiccia, M., Bettini, S., Ben Rachid, M. S. & Garraoui, A. (1986). Epidemic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia: biochemical characterization of parasites. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 80, 669-670.
Ben-Ismtil, R., Helal, H., Bach-Hamba, D. & Ben Rachid, M. S. (1987). Infestation naturelle de Phlebotomus pupal& dam un foyer de leishmaniose cutan& zoonotique, en Tunisie, Bulletin de la Societt de Pathologie Exotique, (in press). Helal, H., Ben&ma& R., Bach-Hamba, D., Sidhom, M., Bettini, S. & Ben Rachid, M. S. (1987). EnquCte entomologique dans le foyer de leishmaniose cutanCe zoonotique (Leishmaniumajor) de Sidi Bouzid (Tunisie) en 1985.Bulletin de la Societt! de Pathologic Exotique, (in press). Killick-Kendrick, R. & Ward, R. D. (1981). Ecology of Leishmania. Parasitoloev. 82. 143-152. Maazoun, R., Lanotte, c.‘, Pasteur, N., Ripux, J, A., Kennou, M. F. & Pratlong, F. (1981). Ecologic des leishmaniosesdans le sud de la France. 16. Contribution ?II’analyse chimiotaxonomique des parssites de la leishmaniose visciraIe mkditeerranienne. A nronos de 55 souches isolees en CCvennes, CBte d’Azur, Corse et Tunisie. Annales de Parasitologic Huma& et Comparde, 56, 131-146. Miles, M. A., Lanham, S. M., De Souza, A. A. & Povoa, M. (1980). Further enzynuc characters of Tvpanosoma cruzi and their evaluation in strain identification. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 74, 221-237.
Rioux, J. A., Petter, F., Zahaf, A., Lanotte, G., Houin, R., Jarry, D., P&i&es, J., Martini, A. & Sarhani, S. (1986). Isolement de Leishmania majm Yakimoff et Schokhor, 1914 [Kinetoplastida-Trypanosomatidae] chez Meriones shawi shawi (Duvernoy, 1842) [Rodentia-Gerbillidae] en Tunisie. Annales de Parasitologic Humaine et Comparie, 61, 139-145. Accepted for publication 7 April 1987
Report
1
Isolation of Leishmania major from Phlebotomus papatasi in Tunisia R. BEN ISMAIL’,M. GRAMICCIA',L. GRADONI', H. HELAL’ AND M. S. BEN RACHID' ‘D~partement de Parasitologie, Facultd de Mkdecine de Tunis, Tunisia; ‘Laboratorio di Parassitologia, Istituto Superiore di Sanith, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; ‘Direction des Soins de Sank de Base, Minis&e de la Sank Publique, Tunis, Tunisia
An important outbreak of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is occurring in central and in south Tunisia (BEN ISMAIL et al., 1986). Surveys of the phlebotomine fauna (HELAL et al., 1987)revealed that the distribution of Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) papatasi (Scopoli, 1786)is in accord with the distribution of the diseasein man. This specieswas shown to be the most abundant, especially in rodent burrows and human dwellings. Its anthropophily was confirmed by man-baited catches. Recentlv. Leishmaniu momastigotes were found in the midg& of two P.dapatasi &males (out of 24), caught indoors, in the active ZCL focus of Douara (25 km from Metlaoui, south-west Tunisia) (BEN ISMAIL et al., 1987). 2 stocks (IPAPITN/86/ISS248-Pap1 and IPAP/TN/86/ISS249-Pap2) were isolated in brainheart infusion agar medium, 50 d after inoculation of the Dromastieotesinto 2 BalbX mice. A human stock of ?CL (~HOM/TN/86/ISS240-METl) was collected in a dwelling 50m from the collection site of the infected sandflies. Isoenzyme typing was performed according to MAAZOUNer al. (1981) and MILES et al. (1980). 13 enzymes were examined: PGM, PGI, ASAT, G6PD, 6PGD, ME, MDH, NHI, NHZ, MPI, IDH, FH and HK (seeMILES et al., 1980, for full enzyme names). 4 reference strains of dermotropic Leishmania were used: MHOMITN/80/LEM163 (L.tropica, Montpellier zymodeme [MON] 8), MHOM/SUI73/5-ASKH (L. major, MON 4), MHOMIMA/Sl/LEM265 (L. major, MON 25) and MHOM/DZ/83/LEM417 (L. infanturn, MON24). All the stocks from Douara were
indistinguishable from L. major MON 25, which has already been reported in man (13 stocks) from different ZCL foci in Tunisia (BEN ISMAIL. et al., 1986) and in Me&w shawi (3 stocks) from one of these foci (RIoUX et al., 1986). These findings. and the data reDorted bv HELAL et al. (1987), sugi&t that P. papuiasi is a-“grade 3” vector of ZCL in Tunisia, according to the criteria discussed by KILLICK-KENDRICK & WARD (1981). References Ben-Isma’il, R., Gradoni, L., Gramiccia, M., Bettini, S., Ben Rachid, M. S. & Garraoui, A. (1986). Epidemic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia: biochemical characterization of parasites. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 80, 669-670.
Ben-Ismtil, R., Helal, H., Bach-Hamba, D. & Ben Rachid, M. S. (1987). Infestation naturelle de Phlebotomus pupal& dam un foyer de leishmaniose cutan& zoonotique, en Tunisie, Bulletin de la Societt de Pathologie Exotique, (in press). Helal, H., Ben&ma& R., Bach-Hamba, D., Sidhom, M., Bettini, S. & Ben Rachid, M. S. (1987). EnquCte entomologique dans le foyer de leishmaniose cutanCe zoonotique (Leishmaniumajor) de Sidi Bouzid (Tunisie) en 1985.Bulletin de la Societt! de Pathologic Exotique, (in press). Killick-Kendrick, R. & Ward, R. D. (1981). Ecology of Leishmania. Parasitoloev. 82. 143-152. Maazoun, R., Lanotte, c.‘, Pasteur, N., Ripux, J, A., Kennou, M. F. & Pratlong, F. (1981). Ecologic des leishmaniosesdans le sud de la France. 16. Contribution ?II’analyse chimiotaxonomique des parssites de la leishmaniose visciraIe mkditeerranienne. A nronos de 55 souches isolees en CCvennes, CBte d’Azur, Corse et Tunisie. Annales de Parasitologic Huma& et Comparde, 56, 131-146. Miles, M. A., Lanham, S. M., De Souza, A. A. & Povoa, M. (1980). Further enzynuc characters of Tvpanosoma cruzi and their evaluation in strain identification. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 74, 221-237.
Rioux, J. A., Petter, F., Zahaf, A., Lanotte, G., Houin, R., Jarry, D., P&i&es, J., Martini, A. & Sarhani, S. (1986). Isolement de Leishmania majm Yakimoff et Schokhor, 1914 [Kinetoplastida-Trypanosomatidae] chez Meriones shawi shawi (Duvernoy, 1842) [Rodentia-Gerbillidae] en Tunisie. Annales de Parasitologic Humaine et Comparie, 61, 139-145. Accepted for publication 7 April 1987