Molecular study to diagnose and identify Leishmania spp. that causes Cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans in Maysan Governorate, Iraq.

Abstract

The study aimed at molecular diagnosis of CL, Differentiate between two types of Leishmania spp., L. tropica and L. major, Determination of kDNA gene sequence, Recording of local isolates in NCBI-GenBank and its comparison with global isolates and Design of a phylogenetic tree to discover relationships between species. The study was conducted in the two main hospitals of Amarah city, Maysan as blood swabs were collected from skin lesions for 80 samples for the period from the beginning of March to the end of December 2020, Samples were examined in Central Health Laboratory in Maysan Governorate, DNA was extracted and then multiplied by a technique Nested-PCR and determine a genetic sequence of kDNA gene, after which Statistical analysis was done, Genetic sequence analysis was done, and the results were sent to the NCBI-GenBank to obtain accession numbers for local isolates and compare them with global isolates, and draw a phylogenetic tree. Results of Electrophoresis showed 50% for both positive and negative samples to CL, while the positive samples were 31.25% of Leishmania tropica and 18.75% of Leishmania major.