Molecular Tracking of Leishmania major in an Archived Rattus norvegicus Spleen Sample in Iran: A Case Report

Mahya  Allahmoradi; Faezeh  Najafi; Mona  Koosha; Elham  Kazemirad; Alireza  Latifi; Saied Reza  Naddaf; Hamed  Mirjalali; Mehdi  Mohebali; Homa  Hajjaran; Domenico  Otranto; Gholamreza  Mowlavi

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v19i4.17172

Mahya Allahmoradi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Faezeh Najafi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mona Koosha Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Elham Kazemirad Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Alireza Latifi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Saied Reza Naddaf Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Hamed Mirjalali Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehdi Mohebali Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Homa Hajjaran Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Domenico Otranto Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy
Gholamreza Mowlavi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v19i4.17172

Keywords: Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis; L. major; Rodents; Rattus norvegicus; Iran

Abstract

Rodents are the primary reservoir hosts for zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) caused by Leishmania major. Knowing reservoir hosts is crucial for leishmaniasis surveillance and control programs in endemic areas. In this study, we examined an archived spleen of Rattus norvegicus obtained during a pest control program in 2000 in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The sample was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing to determine the presence of Trypanosomatidae based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 gene. Amplification and sequencing of the discriminative region of the ITS1 gene followed by BLAST analysis showed the highest similarity with L. major isolates. Also, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that our sample was grouped with L. major isolates retrieved from the GenBank database. This finding might support the claim that R. norvegicus acts as a potential reservoir host for L. major. Further studies, including a survey on more rodent samples as well as studying sandflies in the area, might uncover the possible presence of such pathobiological conditions in ZCL transmission in urban and suburban settings.