Abdulsadah A. Rahi
Wasit University, Iraq
Title: Genome sequencing of Leishmania species as causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iraq
Biography
Biography: Abdulsadah A. Rahi
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is mainly seen in 14 of the 22 countries of EMRO region, Iraq is endemic to cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). 120 of skin lesion samples were collected from suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients during the period from September, 2015 to end of February, 2016 in several areas of Iraq. Dermal scrapings were analyzed both by Giemsa-smeared and cultivation on NNN and RPMI 1640 media. Skin biopsies of 5 to 10 mm in diameter were taken under sterile conditions from the border of the ulcer and divided into three parts; the first part of the sample was smeared onto a glass slide, fixed with methanol, stained by Giemsa and examined under microscopy. A second part was inoculated on Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN) and Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI 1640) media and the third part was kept in freezer until used in molecular methods. The cultures were incubated at 25°C and observed every week for one month. The results of present study showed 87.5 % positive by Giemsa-smeared, 75% and 70% by cultivation on NNN and RPMI 1640 media, respectively. These were mainly in age group (≤1-6) years old (36.2%), more in males (57.1%) than females (42.9%). There was no significant difference between genders. The results of our study showed that high number of ulcers 42 (40 %) were in arm and 67 (63.8%) presented with single lesion. All skin samples were detected by Nested- PCR and revealed Leishmania in 87.5% of skin samples; 74 (70.5%) typed as L. major and 31(29.5%) typed as L. tropica. Phylogenetic tree analysis based on the Kinetoplast DNA partial sequence was used for Leishmania sp. analysis.