Causes of pediatric visceral leishmaniasis in southeastern iran

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Parasitology
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe parasitic disease, predominantly caused by Leishmania infantum.
• Leishmania tropica is an uncommon cause of VL, particularly in Iran, where L. infantum is the primary agent.
• Accurate species identification is crucial for understanding disease epidemiology and guiding treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the causative Leishmania species in pediatric patients suspected of visceral leishmaniasis in Kerman, Iran.
• To determine the prevalence of L. infantum and L. tropica in this specific patient cohort.
• To confirm the utility of nested PCR for Leishmania species identification in clinical samples.

Main Methods:

• Bone marrow aspirates were collected from 10 pediatric patients with suspected visceral leishmaniasis.
• Leishmania species identification was performed using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay.
• Samples were analyzed from patients referred to Kerman Medical Hospitals between 2002 and 2011.

Main Results:

• Nested PCR successfully identified Leishmania species in samples from all 10 patients.
• Leishmania infantum was identified as the principal causative agent in 9 out of 10 patients.
• Leishmania tropica was identified as a minor species in one patient.

Conclusions:

• Leishmania infantum is confirmed as the predominant cause of visceral leishmaniasis in the studied pediatric population in Kerman, Iran.
• This study highlights the rare occurrence of Leishmania tropica as a causative agent of VL in this region.
• Nested PCR is a reliable and effective method for the molecular diagnosis and species identification of Leishmania in clinical bone marrow samples.