1School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. Received: 14/04/03; accepted: 26/10/03 ABSTRACT Between 1991–2000, Leishmania species were isolated and characterized by isoenzyme and molecular analysis from rodents caught in various parts of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In areas endemic for cutaneous lei...

Following the epidemic of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Khatam County, Yazd Province, this study was carried out to determine vector, and animal reservoir host(s) and investigate the human infection during 2005-2006. Four rural districts where the disease had higher prevalence were selected. Sticky paper traps were used to collect sand flies during April to November, biweekly. Meanwhile rodents we...

Between 1991-2000, Leishmania species were isolated and characterized by isoenzyme and molecular analysis from rodents caught in various parts of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In areas endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis, parasites were observed by direct microscopy in smears from 18.6% of 566 specimens. L. major was isolated from 4 species: Rhombomys opimus, Meriones libycus, Tatera indica and...

The great gerbil, Rhombomys opimus, is the most social species in the Gerbillinae. The social structure consists of family groups that occupy isolated systems of burrows consisting of one breeding male, from one to seven females, and juveniles. During a year of peak density and one of density decline, we studied the influence of group size, group composition, local density, and distance to the ...

BACKGROUND Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is a growing health problem in many rural areas of Iran. Rhombomys opimus, the great gerbil, is the main animal reservoir of ZCL in the northeast and central part of Iran. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the rodenticidal effect of Coumavec® (a mixture of Coumatetralyl 0.5% and Etofenprox 0.5%) on R. opimus under laboratory condition. ME...

BACKGROUND Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is an expanding disease and public health problem in Iran. In the current study, natural Leishmania infection rate and seasonal fluctuation of the infection in Rhombomys opimus population of a hyperendemic focus of ZCL in Iran was investigated. METHODS The study was conducted from October 2006 to October 2008 in Esfahan Province, central part ...

Background: An epidemiological study was carried out on the vector(s) and reservoir(s) of cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural areas of Kalaleh District, Golestan Province during 2006 2007. Methods: Totally 4900 sand flies were collected using sticky papers and were subjected to molecular methods for detection of leishmanial parasite. Results: Phlebotomus papatasi was the common species in outdoor ...

BACKGROUND Ectoparasites of mammalian hosts play an important role for transmission of diseases from the host reservoirs to human. The aim of this study was to determine the species composition and infestation parameters for parasitic arthropods associated with Rhombomys opimus. METHODS Ectoparasites of R. opimus were collected from seven endemic district of ZCL in Iran including Shirvan and ...

introduction: leishmanioses are important parasitic diseases presenting in three clinical forms visceral, cutaneous and muco-cutaneous. some rodents are the reservoir hosts of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. the disease prevails in many rural areas of yazd province. this was the first comprehensive study on the fauna of rodents in yazd and was conducted to determine the fauna, distribution an...

background: sand fly saliva helps parasite establishment and induce immune responses in vertebrate hosts. in the current study, we investigated the modulation of phlebotomus papatasi salivary gland antigen expression by sea­sonal and biological factors. methods: sand flies were grouped according to physiological stages such as unfed, fed, semi-gravid, gravid, parous, nulliparous, infected or no...