Canine and rodent leishmanial isolates from Egypt

Area of Science:

• Parasitology
• Molecular Biology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Leishmaniasis is a significant parasitic disease affecting both humans and animals.
• Accurate identification of Leishmania species is crucial for understanding disease transmission and control.
• Leishmania parasites exhibit genetic and antigenic diversity, complicating classification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize two Leishmania parasite stocks isolated in Egypt using molecular and serological methods.
• To determine the species or strain of a canine and a rodent (Rattus norvegicus) Leishmania isolate.
• To compare the characterized isolates with established Leishmania species.

Main Methods:

• Excreted factor (EF) serotyping was performed to analyze antigenic properties.
• Electrophoretic mobility of glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) was assessed for genetic typing.
• Comparison of typing results with reference strains of Leishmania species.

Main Results:

• The canine Leishmania isolate was indistinguishable from Leishmania donovani (synonymous with Leishmania infantum) strains.
• The Rattus norvegicus isolate exhibited distinct characteristics, differing from Leishmania donovani, Leishmania tropica, and Leishmania major.
• This suggests the presence of potentially novel or less-characterized Leishmania strains in Egypt.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully differentiated two Leishmania stocks from Egypt based on EF serotype and GPI electrophoresis.
• The canine isolate likely represents a known strain of L. donovani/L. infantum, relevant to visceral leishmaniasis.
• The rat isolate's distinct profile warrants further investigation to identify its species and epidemiological significance in Egypt.