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

Abstract

Sudanese strains of Leishmania isolated from 2 human cases of kala-azar, 3 human cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, 2 naturally infected sand-flies (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. Three 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.