Phylogenetic studies on trypanosomatid barcode using V7V8 SSU rRNA and gGAPDH gene sequences have provided support for redefining some trypanosomatid species and positioning new isolates. The genus Leishmania is a slow evolving monophyletic group and including important human pathogens. The phylogenetic relationships of this genus have been determined by the natural history of its vertebrate ho...

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are the principal vectors of phleboviruses and Leishmania spp., causative agents leishmaniases. The Mediterranean fly fauna is diverse, leishmaniasis, mainly caused by infantum, endemic in Balkan countries. Despite recent entomological surveys, only some districts Kosovo have been sampled for flies, with no proof/confirmation L. infantum. This stud...

There are currently no effective vaccines for visceral leishmaniasis, the second most deadly parasitic infection in the world. Here, we describe a novel whole-cell vaccine approach using Leishmania infantum chagasi promastigotes treated with the psoralen compound amotosalen (S-59) and low doses of UV A radiation. This treatment generates permanent, covalent DNA cross-links within parasites and ...

Kinetoplastids Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agents of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) and Chagas’ disease (CD), respectively, can both be transmitted vertically in utero from mother to infant [1]. Congenital infection can be either asymptomatic infection or overt, symptomatic infection [2]. Dogs are a primary domestic reservoir associated with human CD in certa...

Citation: Lázaro-Souza M, Matte C, Lima JB, Arango Duque G, Quintela-Carvalho G, de Carvalho Vivarini Á, Moura-Pontes S, Figueira CP, Jesus-Santos FH, Gazos Lopes U, Farias LP, Araújo-Santos T, Descoteaux A and Borges VM (2018) Leishmania infantum Lipophosphoglycan-Deficient Mutants: A Tool to Study Host Cell-Parasite Interplay. Front. Microbiol. 9:626. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00626 Leishmania ...

The serologic assay is an important tool in the diagnosis of leishmaniasis. One of the most commonly used tests is enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Since total Leishmania promastigotes are used as antigen in the routine assay, false-positive reactions are frequent due to cross-reaction with sera from other diseases, mainly Chagas' disease. Therefore, an antigen that determines less cr...

Leishmania parasites cause a group of diseases collectively known as leishmaniases. The primary hosts of Leishmania are sylvatic mammals of several orders (Rodentia, Marsupialia, Carnivora, etc.). Under certain circumstances, particularly in peridomestic and domestic transmission foci, synanthropic and domestic animals can act as source of infection for phlebotomine sand fly vectors. Dogs have ...

We used the cysteine proteinase B (cpb) gene family of the trypanosomatid genus Leishmania as a target to develop rapid, specific, and easy-to-use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to discriminate Leishmania infantum, Leishmania donovani, Leishmania tropica, Leishmania aethiopica, and Leishmania major. Identification of all 5 Old World species and validation of intraspecies variability are ...

Dogs play an important role in transmission of Leishmania infantum, but epidemiologic and clinical studies canine tegumentary leishmaniasis (CTL) are scarce. In endemic area human American (ATL) caused by braziliensis, we determine the prevalence incidence both CTL subclinical (SC) L. braziliensis infection dogs evaluated if presence with or SC is associated occurrence ATL. healthy animals ulce...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Kala-azar is the visceral and most severe form of leishmaniasis that leads to death if untreated. The causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are members of Leishmania (L.) donovani complex which includes L. chagasi and L. infantum. Genome sequences have raised the question whether L. chagasi and L. infantum are synonymous or different. This question has importan...