Open AccessMolecular Epidemiology of Leishmania ( Viannia ) guyanensis in French Guiana
Author(s) -
Brice Rotureau,
Christophe Ravel,
Mathieu Nacher,
Pierre Couppié,
Isabelle Curtet,
Jean-Pierre Dedet,
Bernard Carme
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of clinical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.349
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1070-633X
pISSN - 0095-1137
DOI - 10.1128/jcm.44.2.468-473.2006
Subject(s) - biology , genotype , internal transcribed spacer , leishmania , restriction fragment length polymorphism , cutaneous leishmaniasis , leishmaniasis , molecular epidemiology , ribosomal dna , genetics , epidemiology , ribosomal rna , genetic variability , parasite hosting , veterinary medicine , zoology , phylogenetics , medicine , gene , pathology , world wide web , computer science
Little information is available about the genetic variability ofLeishmania populations and the possible correlations with ecoepidemiological features of leishmaniases. The present study was carried out in French Guiana, a country where cutaneous leishmaniases (CL) are endemic over the whole territory. The genetic polymorphism of a nuclear sequence encompassing the end of the ribosomal small subunit and the internal transcribed spacer 1 of 265 isolates from patients with CL was examined by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Genotypes based on the fingerprinting phenetic integration were compared to epidemiological, clinical, and geographical data. In agreement with previous reports, five differentLeishmania species were identified, butLeishmania (Viannia )guyanensis represented 95.8% of the samples. Two distinctL . (V .)guyanensis populations were found to originate in two ecologically characterized regions. Higher lesional parasite densities and the need for additional treatments were significantly linked to genotype group I. Parasites of genotype group II were more likely to cause chronic and disseminated cutaneous forms in patients.L . (V .)guyanensis was previously said not to be very polymorphic; however, the present analysis resulted in a significant degree of discrimination amongL . (V .)guyanensis isolates from diverse ecological areas and with different clinical implications.