The relationship between human and animal strains of Leishmania from the Sudan

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• Main Authors: Adler, S., Foner, Ann, Montiglio, B.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 1966
• Subjects: Communications; Azar; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/60/3/380; https://doi.org/10.1016/0035-9203(66)90305-1

Sudanese strains of Leishmania isolated from 2 human cases of kala-azar, 3 human cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, 2 naturally infected sandflies ( P. orientalis ), naturally infected specimens of Rattus rattus, Arvicanthis niloticus luctuosus, Acomys albigena, Genetta genetta senegalensis and Felis serval philipsi , were examined serologically by growth on medium containing immune serum. With this method all these strains were indistinguishable from each other and are considered to belong to the same species. 3 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis from which strains were studied are considered to have either abortive kala-azar or primary leishmaniomas. These findings add to the existing epidemiological evidence that kala-azar in the Sudan is a zoonosis, and that L. donovani is propagated in an animal reservoir by cyclical transmission through a sandfly, P. orientalis .