Spread of Leishmania killicki to central and south-west Tunisa

A Bouratbine (1, 2) , K Aoun (1, 2) , J Ghrab (2) , Z Harrat (3) , Ms Ezzedini (4) , S Etlijani (5)

1 LR11IPT06 - Laboratoire de Parasitologie Médicale, Biotechnologies et Biomolécules
2 LR 05-SP 03 - Laboratoire des parasitoses émergentes, Institut Pasteur de Tunis
3 Institut Pasteur d'Algérie
4 Direction régionale de la Santé Publique
5 Direction régionale de la Santé Publique

Twenty cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases were notified from December 2001 to February 2002, in a small village in the district of Oueslatia (governorate of Kairouan, central Tunisia) which is an endemic focus of infantile visceral leishmaniasis due to Leishmania (L.) infantum and that hod never been concerned previously by CL. The parasite typing of two isolates obtained from two children that have never left the region has identified L. killicki. This species hod only been reported previously in a limited focus of Tunisian Southeast. In October 2002, an epidemiological survey with isoenzym characterization of the parasite led in a well-known focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis of South-West Tunisia also revealed the presence of L. killicki. These results suggest the spread of this species and stress the need of further investigations for a better control of CL in Tunisia.

Mots clés: Tunisia; cutaneous leishmaniasis; Leishmania killicki; epidemiology

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]; Parasitologie

A Bouratbine, K Aoun, J Ghrab, Z Harrat, Ms Ezzedini, et al.. Spread of Leishmania killicki to central and south-west Tunisa. Parasite, 2005, 12 (1), pp.59-63. ⟨10.1051/parasite/2005121059⟩. ⟨pasteur-01375271⟩