A review of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Morocco: A vertical analysisto determine appropriate interventions for control and prevention.

Leishmaniasis is considered one of the most neglected diseases worldwide. In Morocco, cutaneous leishmaniasis is an important public health problem. Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica are the two major species in this country. Despite all efforts, monitoring and control of the cutaneous leishmaniasis is still challenging. We used for the first time a vertical analysis of the control of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Morocco from the document review and publications. This analysis allowed us to develop an epidemiological model that emphasized key possible interventions. No evaluation studies of these interventions in Morocco were done. Global Evidence underline the effectiveness of preventive interventions produced in integrate inter-sectorial strategy framework (e.g use of insecticide-treated bednets, indoor residual spraying and rodents' control) rather than treatments such as based thermotherapy, cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, CO2 laser and paromomycin. Therefore, integrated vector management control (IVMC) with communityc participation is recommended as effective strategy. Strengthening of the IVMC with community involvement are necessary conditions to improve the program of cutaneous leishmaniasis and prevent epidemic foci appearance.

Genomic Appraisal of the Multifactorial Basis for In Vitro Acquisition of Miltefosine Resistance in Leishmania donovani.

Protozoan parasites of the Leishmania donovani complex are the causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the most severe form of leishmaniasis, with high rates of mortality if left untreated. Leishmania parasites are transmitted to humans through the bite of infected female sandflies (Diptera: Phlebotominae), and approximately 500,000 new cases of VL are reported each year. In the absence of a safe human vaccine, chemotherapy, along with vector control, is the sole tool with which to fight the disease. Miltefosine (hexadecylphosphatidylcholine [HePC]), an antitumoral drug, is the only successful oral treatment for VL. In the current study, we describe the phenotypic traits of L. donovani clonal lines that have acquired resistance to HePC. We performed whole-genome and RNA sequencing of these resistant lines to provide an inclusive overview of the multifactorial acquisition of experimental HePC resistance, circumventing the challenge of identifying changes in membrane-bound proteins faced by proteomics. This analysis was complemented by assessment of the in vitro infectivity of HePC-resistant parasites. Our work underscores the importance of complementary "omics" to acquire the most comprehensive insight for multifaceted processes, such as HePC resistance.

A cluster of four cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis by Leishmania donovani in Cyprus: a case series.

INTRODUCTION: Leishmaniasis is endemic in more than 95 countries and is the only tropical/subtropical vector-borne disease that has been endemic in Southern Europe for decades. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of cutaneous leishmaniasis by Leishmania donovani in a child and the first cluster with adult cases reported in Europe. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a familial cluster of four cutaneous leishmaniasis cases among Greek Cypriots caused by L. donovani in a Paphos village, in Cyprus. A 6-year-old boy (Case number 1) had a persistent lesion in the left angle of his upper lip, a 60-year-old woman (Case number 2) presented with a 2 cm-diameter glabella lesion on her forehead, a 60-year-old man (Case number 3) developed a lesion on his moustache area and a 40-year-old woman (Case number 4) had a lesion on her neck. In Case number 3 the lesion was self-cured; the other cases recovered after surgical resection followed by liposomal amphotericin B (Case numbers 1 and 4) or thermotherapy and liposomal amphotericin B (Case number 2). CONCLUSIONS: This familial cluster of cutaneous leishmaniasis, due to the anthroponotic L. donovani, shows that the sand fly species responsible for transmitting this parasite species is found in the area around the three neighbouring houses involved. The factors favourable for the survival, spread and contact of the vector with people could be assessed in this area for the establishment of preventative measures to safeguard public health.

Can Saffron (Crocus sativus) be effective in the treatment of leishmaniasis?

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by Leishmania, transmitted by the bite of some sandfly species. It is endemic in 88 countries throughout the world. Pentavalent antimonials are the standard therapy for leismaniasis. Saffron (crocus sativus) belongs to the iridaceae family. This paper will outline the benefits and challenges of repurposing saffron for treating leishmaniasis.

Relationship between coffee cultivation practices in Colombia and exposure to infection with Leishmania.

The inhabitants of coffee-growing municipalities consistently report the highest annual rates of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia. During the last two decades most Colombian coffee growers have changed from the traditional system of cultivation, where the crop is grown under different species of shade trees, to an intensified system where it is grown at high densities in full sunlight. This change may affect transmission of Leishmania spp. to humans in several ways, probably resulting from reduced human-vector contact. The responses of residents of traditional and intensified coffee plantations to the leishmanin skin test were compared to ascertain whether intensification has indeed affected Leishmania transmission. Although prevalence of infection was significantly higher (P< or =0.01) among residents of traditional plantations (26.8%) than among those of intensified ones (13.2%), no significant difference could be demonstrated with respect to incidence of infection at the time of the study. Similar rates of infection were found for men and women, although the incidence of infection was significantly higher among the latter in intensified plantations. Changes to the type of data collected and the data collection process will facilitate the evaluation of the long-term effects of intensification of coffee plantations on Leishmania transmission.

Visceral leishmaniasis control in Thi Qar Governorate, Iraq, 2003.

Since 1991, visceral leishmaniasis has extended to new areas rarely affected before in Iraq, such as the southern governorates. In 2003, in the aftermath of the invasion of the Coalition Forces, Thi Qar Governorate was at high risk for an outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis. This paper describes the cooperation of an international nongovernmental organization and a district primary health care department to restore the visceral leishmaniasis control programme in Thi Qar in 2003 and prevent a major outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis. It also discusses the lessons learned and presents recommendations for the future.

Phlebotomine sandflies and leishmaniasis risks in Colombian coffee plantations under two systems of cultivation.

The phlebotomine sandfly fauna of traditional (shaded) and intensified (unshaded) coffee plantations in Colombia was sampled by a variety of methods and the species composition and density under the two systems compared. Twenty species of Lutzomyia sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) were collected, of which eight were found only in the 'Coffee Axis' ('Eje Cafetero') of the departments of Caldas, Risaralda and Quindio, six were exclusive to the department of Norte de Santander and six occurred in both regions. Four species were collected only in traditional plantations and two exclusively in intensified ones. At least 13 species occurred in both plantation types. Fifteen species are opportunistic man-biters and eight are suspected vectors of leishmaniasis caused by Le. braziliensis, Le. panamensis or Le. mexicana. Seven species were collected inside houses and may be involved in intradomiciliary transmission of Leishmania. The dominant species in Norte de Santander was Lu. spinicrassa, which made up 93.8% of all the sandflies collected in this department. This species was absent from the Eje Cafetero and a number of others among the 15 recorded there might be responsible for Leishmania transmission in this region, including Lu. trapidoi, Lu. yuilli, Lu. gomezi, L. hartmanni and Lu. ovallesi. Sandfly population densities were significantly higher in traditional plantations than in intensified ones. Residents of traditional plantations were able to describe sandflies in significantly more detail than those of intensified plantations, based on seven basic characteristics related to the appearance and biting behaviour of the insects.

Colonización de Lu. Gomezi : (Diptera : Psychodidae) y su capacidad de picada frente a extractos de plantas Momordica charantica y Genipa americana como repelentes

Tiene como propósito colonizar Lutzomyia gomezi (Nitzulesiu, 1931), especie antropofílica en la República de Panamá y vector de leishmaniasis. Se utilizó el Método Chaniotis (1975, 1986). Se logró obtaner 9 generaciones sucesivas de Lu. gomezi, lo que probó que este método sirve para otras especies del género Lutzomyia, además de Lu. trapidoi probada en 1975 y 1986. Indica que el Método Chaniotis (1986) se modificó con la utilización de envases plásticos desechables y el uso de Mycostatin para controlar el crecimiento del hongo. Señala además que se establecen las ventajas y desventajas del Método Chaniotis modificado y se compara con el Método de Hertig & Johnson (1961) y el Método Chaniotis (1975, 1986)