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a historical overview of the classification, evolution, and dispersion of leishmania parasites and sandflies.the aim of this study is to describe the major evolutionary historical events among leishmania, sandflies, and the associated animal reservoirs in detail, in accordance with the geographical evolution of the earth, which has not been previously discussed on a large scale.201626937644
everybody loves sugar: first report of plant feeding in triatomines.triatomines, which are the vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, have been considered to be exclusive blood feeders for more than 100 years, since the discovery of chagas disease.201626928036
mating-induced transcriptome changes in the reproductive tract of female aedes aegypti.the aedes aegypti mosquito is a significant public health threat, as it is the main vector of dengue and chikungunya viruses. disease control efforts could be enhanced through reproductive manipulation of these vectors. previous work has revealed a relationship between male seminal fluid proteins transferred to females during mating and female post-mating physiology and behavior. to better understand this interplay, we used short-read rna sequencing to identify gene expression changes in the low ...201626901677
coarse-resolution ecology of etiological agent, vector, and reservoirs of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in libya.cutaneous leishmaniasis ranks among the tropical diseases least known and most neglected in libya. world health organization reports recognized associations of phlebotomus papatasi, psammomys obesus, and meriones spp., with transmission of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl; caused by leishmania major) across libya. here, we map risk of zcl infection based on occurrence records of l. major, p. papatasi, and four potential animal reservoirs (meriones libycus, meriones shawi, psammomys obesus, ...201626863317
identification of algerian field-caught phlebotomine sand fly vectors by maldi-tof ms.phlebotomine sand flies are known to transmit leishmania parasites, bacteria and viruses that affect humans and animals in many countries worldwide. precise sand fly identification is essential to prevent phlebotomine-borne diseases. over the past two decades, progress in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (maldi-tof ms) has emerged as an accurate tool for arthropod identification. the objective of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of m ...201626771833
a review of impact of bam earthquake on cutaneous leishmaniasis and status: epidemic of old foci, emergence of new foci and changes in features of the disease.global findings indicate that incidence rate of cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) has significantly increased during the past decade, as documented in many countries. this review was aimed to evaluate the trend of cl cases in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics during a decade after the earthquake (2003-2012) compared to the corresponding period before the earthquake in bam (1993-2003).201627308286
molecular detection of leishmania major and l. turanica in phlebotomus papatasi and first natural infection of p. salehi to l. major in north-east of iran.leishmaniasis is an important public health disease in many developing countries as well in iran. the main objective of this study was to investigate on leishmania infection of wild caught sand flies in an endemic focus of disease in esfarayen district, north east of iran.201627308272
identification of leishmania species isolated from human cutaneous leishmaniasis in mehran, western iran using nested pcr.the incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the city of mehran has risen sharply in recent years because the city borders iraq, which has allowed entrance of different leishmania strains. these strains have different shapes, periods of disease, and healing of lesions. the present study identified and determined cutaneous leishmaniasis species in this region.027095970
attraction and oviposition preferences of phlebotomus papatasi (diptera: psychodidae), vector of old-world cutaneous leishmaniasis, to larval rearing media.as part of a project aimed at developing oviposition attractants for the control and surveillance of phlebotomus papatasi (a vector of old-world cutaneous leishmaniasis), we tested the hypothesis that gravid sand flies are attracted to chemical cues emanating from the growth medium of conspecific larvae - predominantly larvae-conditioned host feces that represents a suitable oviposition site. we report the results of a systematic assessment of media from various developmental stages of the sand ...201526714743
transcriptional cellular responses in midgut tissue of aedes aegypti larvae following intoxication with cry11aa toxin from bacillus thuringiensis.although much is known about the mechanism of action of bacillus thuringiensis cry toxins, the target tissue cellular responses to toxin activity is less understood. previous transcriptomic studies indicated that significant changes in gene expression occurred during intoxication. however, most of these studies were done in organisms without a sequenced and annotated reference genome. a reference genome and transcriptome is available for the mosquito aedes aegypti, and its importance as a diseas ...201526645277
cutaneous leishmaniasis in the central provinces of hama and edlib in syria: vector identification and parasite typing.cutaneous leishmaniasis is a disease transmitted by sand fly bites. this disease is highly prevalent in syria where leishmania major and leishmania tropica are the known aetiological agents. in 2011, more than 58,000 cases were reported in the country by the ministry of health. the central region of the country harbors 20 % of the reported cases. however, the epidemiology of the disease in this area is not well understood. an epidemiological survey was conducted in 2010 to identity the circulati ...201526459055
leishmania major udp-sugar pyrophosphorylase salvages galactose for glycoconjugate biosynthesis.leishmaniases are a set of tropical and sub-tropical diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania whose severity ranges from self-healing cutaneous lesions to fatal visceral infections. leishmania parasites synthesise a wide array of cell surface and secreted glycoconjugates that play important roles in infection. these glycoconjugates are particularly abundant in the promastigote form and known to be essential for establishment of infection in the insect midgut and effective t ...201526215058
efficacy of attractive toxic sugar baits (atsb) against aedes albopictus with garlic oil encapsulated in beta-cyclodextrin as the active ingredient.we tested the efficacy of attractive toxic sugar bait (atsb) with garlic oil microencapsulated in beta-cyclodextrin as active ingredient against aedes albopictus in suburban haifa, israel. two three-acre gardens with high numbers of ae. albopictus were selected for perimeter spray treatment with atsb and asb (bait containing no active ingredient). baits were colored with food dye to verify feeding of the mosquitoes. the mosquito population was monitored by human landing catches and sweep net cat ...201526403337
treatment of livestock with systemic insecticides for control of anopheles arabiensis in western kenya.despite the implementation of vector control strategies, including insecticide-treated bed nets (itn) and indoor residual spraying (irs) in western kenya, this area still experiences high level of malaria transmission. novel vector control tools are required which target such vector species, such as anopheles arabiensis, that feed outdoors and have minimal contact with itns and irs.201526377691
antigenicity, immunogenicity and protective efficacy of three proteins expressed in the promastigote and amastigote stages of leishmania infantum against visceral leishmaniasis.in the present study, two leishmania infantum hypothetical proteins present in the amastigote stage, lihyp1 and lihyp6, were combined with a promastigote protein, ige-dependent histamine-releasing factor (hrf); to compose a polyproteins vaccine to be evaluated against l. infantum infection. also, the antigenicity of the three proteins was analyzed, and their use for the serodiagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) was evaluated. the lihyp1, lihyp6, and hrf dna coding sequences were clone ...201526367128
hybridization in parasites: consequences for adaptive evolution, pathogenesis, and public health in a changing world. 201526336070
a comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics of syrian and turkish patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis.cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) is a significant public health problem with increasing incidence, especially in extreme circumstances. in this study, we compared the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of 685 syrian cl patients afflicted by the syrian conflict and 685 turkish cl patients in 2012. patient age, gender, duration of disease, lesion size, type, and localization were evaluated. the duration of cl disease in syrian cl patients (4.5 ± 4.3 weeks) was shorter than that of turkish c ...201526078315
spatio-temporal genetic structuring of leishmania major in tunisia by microsatellite analysis.in tunisia, cases of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by leishmania major are increasing and spreading from the south-west to new areas in the center. to improve the current knowledge on l. major evolution and population dynamics, we performed multi-locus microsatellite typing of human isolates from tunisian governorates where the disease is endemic (gafsa, kairouan and sidi bouzid governorates) and collected during two periods: 1991-1992 and 2008-2012. analysis (f-statistics and bayesian ...201526302440
molecular cloning and functional studies of two kazal-type serine protease inhibitors specifically expressed by nasonia vitripennis venom apparatus.two cdna sequences of kazal-type serine protease inhibitors (kspis) in nasonia vitripennis, nvkspi-1 and nvkspi-2, were characterized and their open reading frames (orfs) were 198 and 264 bp, respectively. both nvkspi-1 and nvkspi-2 contained a typical kazal-type domain. real-time quantitative pcr (rt-qpcr) results revealed that nvkspi-1 and nvkspi-2 mrnas were mostly detected specifically in the venom apparatus, while they were expressed at lower levels in the ovary and much lower levels in oth ...201526248077
fitness and phenotypic characterization of miltefosine-resistant leishmania major.trypanosomatid parasites of the genus leishmania are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease with several clinical manifestations. leishmania major is the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl), which is largely characterized by ulcerative lesions appearing on the skin. current treatments of leishmaniasis include pentavalent antimonials and amphotericin b, however, the toxic side effects of these drugs and difficulty with distribution makes these options less ...201526230675
proteomic analysis reveals that cop9 signalosome complex subunit 7a (csn7a) is essential for the phase transition of migratory locust.the migratory locust displays a reversible, density-dependent transition between the two phases of gregaria and solitaria. this phenomenon is a typical kind of behavior plasticity. here, we report that cop9 signalosome complex subunit 7a (csn7a) is involved in the regulation of locust phase transition. firstly, 90 proteins were identified to express differentially between the two phases by quantitative proteomic analysis. gregaria revealed higher levels in proteins related to structure formation ...201526212173
rapd-pcr reveals genetic polymorphism among leishmania major strains from tunisian patients.zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by leishmania (l.) major is endemoepidemic in the center and south of tunisia. the clinical course of the disease varies widely among different patients and geographic regions. although genetic diversity in l. major parasites has been suggested as a potential factor influencing their pathogenic variability, little information on genetic polymorphism among l. major strains is available in the literature. this work aimed to estimate the genetic variability w ...201526170197
assessing insecticide susceptibility of laboratory lutzomyia longipalpis and phlebotomus papatasi sand flies (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).chemical insecticides are effective for controlling lutzomyia and phlebotomus sand fly (diptera: psychodidae) vectors of leishmania parasites. however, repeated use of certain insecticides has led to tolerance and resistance. the objective of this study was to determine lethal concentrations (lcs) and lethal exposure times (lts) to assess levels of susceptibility of laboratory lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and nieva) and phlebotomus papatasi (scopoli) to 10 insecticides using a modified version of ...201526336231
different morphologies of leishmania major amastigotes with no molecular diversity in a neglected endemic area of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in iran.molecular diversity of leishmania major and its morphological changes have become a controversial issue among researchers. some aspects of polymorphic shapes of amastigotes in clinical manifestations along with molecular variation were evaluated among suspected patients of some exceptional zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis locations in northern khuzestan, southwestern iran.201526081070
seasonal and physiological variations of phlebotomus papatasi salivary gland antigens in central iran.sand fly saliva helps parasite establishment and induce immune responses in vertebrate hosts. in the current study, we investigated the modulation of phlebotomus papatasi salivary gland antigen expression by seasonal and biological factors.201527047970
simultaneous morphological and molecular characterization of tatera indica in southwestern iran.interest in tatera indica rodent arises mostly because it is believed that this species is survived among four subspecies reported from iran, two of which exist in khuzestan province. in addition, it might has a role as reservoir hosts of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in the transmission of leishmania major in some of the widespread asian foci including southwestern iran.201527047972
phlebotomus papatasi sp15: mrna expression variability and amino acid sequence polymorphisms of field populations.the phlebotomus papatasi salivary protein ppsp15 was shown to protect mice against leishmania major, suggesting that incorporation of salivary molecules in multi-component vaccines may be a viable strategy for anti-leishmania vaccines.201526022221
an overview on leishmania vaccines: a narrative review article.leishmaniasis is one of the major health problems and categorized as a class i disease (emerging and uncontrolled) by world health organization (who), causing highly significant morbidity and mortality. indeed, more than 350 million individuals are at risk of leishmania infection, and about 1.6 million new cases occur causing more than 50 thousands death annually. because of the severe toxicity and drug resistance, present chemotherapy regimen against diverse forms of leishmania infections is no ...201525992245
dynamic relations between incidence of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis and climatic factors in golestan province, iran.zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl), an important public health problem in iran, is sensitive to climate conditions. this study aimed to examine dynamic relations between the climate factors and incidence of zcl in golestan province, northern iran during 2010-2012.201526623427
small rnas derived from trnas and rrnas are highly enriched in exosomes from both old and new world leishmania providing evidence for conserved exosomal rna packaging.leishmania use exosomes to communicate with their mammalian hosts and these secreted vesicles appear to contribute to pathogenesis by delivering protein virulence factors to macrophages. in other eukaryotes, exosomes were found to carry rna cargo, such as mrnas and small non-coding rnas, capable of altering recipient cell phenotype. whether leishmania exosomes also contain rnas which they are able to deliver to bystander cells is not known. here, we show that leishmania exosomes indeed contain r ...201525764986
the flagellar protein flag1/smp1 is a candidate for leishmania-sand fly interaction.leishmaniasis is a serious problem that affects mostly poor countries. various species of leishmania are the agents of the disease, which take different clinical manifestations. the parasite is transmitted by sandflies, predominantly from the phlebotomus genus in the old world and lutzomyia in the new world. during development in the gut, leishmania must survive various challenges, which include avoiding being expelled with blood remnants after digestion. it is believed that attachment to the gu ...025793476
control of sand flies with attractive toxic sugar baits (atsb) and potential impact on non-target organisms in morocco.the persistence and geographical expansion of leishmaniasis is a major public health problem that requires the development of effective integrated vector management strategies for sand fly control. moreover, these strategies must be economically and environmentally sustainable approaches that can be modified based on the current knowledge of sand fly vector behavior. the efficacy of using attractive toxic sugar baits (atsb) for sand fly control and the potential impacts of atsb on non-target org ...201525890039
isolation, genetic characterization, and seroprevalence of adana virus, a novel phlebovirus belonging to the salehabad virus complex, in turkey.a new phlebovirus, adana virus, was isolated from a pool of phlebotomus spp. (diptera; psychodidae) in the province of adana, in the mediterranean region of turkey. genetic analysis based on complete coding of genomic sequences indicated that adana virus belongs to the salehabad virus species of the genus phlebovirus in the family bunyaviridae. adana virus is the third virus of the salehabad virus species for which the complete sequence has been determined. to understand the epidemiology of adan ...201525653443
severity of old world cutaneous leishmaniasis is influenced by previous exposure to sandfly bites in saudi arabia.the sandfly phlebotomus papatasi is the vector of leishmania major, the main causative agent of old world cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) in saudi arabia. sandflies inject saliva while feeding and the salivary protein ppsp32 was previously shown to be a biomarker for bite exposure. here we used recombinant ppsp32 to evaluate human exposure to ph. papatasi bites, and study the association between antibody response to saliva and cl in endemic areas in saudi arabia.201525646796
identification of leishmania species by kinetoplast dna-polymerase chain reaction for the first time in khaf district, khorasan-e-razavi province, iran.cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) is an endemic parasitic skin disease in many parts of iran including khorasan province. both clinical forms of the disease, anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) and zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) are present in this province. however, leishmaniasis molecular map is determined in four cities of khorasan, but several foci still are remained unknown.025709953
a study of desert dermatoses in the thar desert region.desert dermatology describes the cutaneous changes and the diseases affecting those living in the desert. diurnal variation in temperature is high and is characteristic of the deserts. the lack of water affects daily activities and impacts dermatological conditions. adaptation to the desert is therefore important to survival. this original article focuses on dermatoses occurring in a population in the thar desert of india, predominantly located in rajasthan.025657392
nocturnal activities and host preferences of phlebotomus orientalis in extra-domestic habitats of kafta-humera lowlands, kala-azar endemic, northwest ethiopia.phlebotomus orientalis feeds on a variety of wild and domestic animals and transmits leishmania donovani from hitherto unknown reservoir hosts to humans in extra-domestic habitats in the metema-humera lowlands. the aim of this study was to determine the nocturnal activities of p. orientalis and its preferred blood meal hosts.201425515239
vectorbase: an updated bioinformatics resource for invertebrate vectors and other organisms related with human diseases.vectorbase is a national institute of allergy and infectious diseases supported bioinformatics resource center (brc) for invertebrate vectors of human pathogens. now in its 11th year, vectorbase currently hosts the genomes of 35 organisms including a number of non-vectors for comparative analysis. hosted data range from genome assemblies with annotated gene features, transcript and protein expression data to population genetics including variation and insecticide-resistance phenotypes. here we d ...201425510499
acetylcholinesterase of the sand fly, phlebotomus papatasi (scopoli): construction, expression and biochemical properties of the g119s orthologous mutant.phlebotomus papatasi vectors zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. previous expression of recombinant p. papatasi acetylcholinesterase (ppache1) revealed 85% amino acid sequence identity to mosquito ache and identified synthetic carbamates that effectively inhibited ppache1 with improved specificity for arthropod aches compared to mammalian aches. we hypothesized that the g119s mutation causing high level resistance to organophosphate insecticides in mosquitoes may occur in ppache1 and may reduce se ...201425491113
an outbreak of acute febrile illness caused by sandfly fever sicilian virus in the afar region of ethiopia, 2011.in malaria-endemic regions, many medical facilities have limited capacity to diagnose non-malarial etiologies of acute febrile illness (afi). as a result, the etiology of afi is seldom determined, although afi remains a major cause of morbidity in developing countries. an outbreak of afi was reported in the afar region of ethiopia in august of 2011. retrospectively, 12,816 suspected afi cases were identified by review of medical records. symptoms were mild and self-limiting within 3 days after t ...201425266349
effect of mouse antisera targeting the phlebotomus papatasi midgut chitinase ppchit1 on sandfly physiology and fitness.in sandflies, the absence of the peritrophic matrix (pm) affects the rate of blood digestion. also, the kinetics of pm secretion varies according to species. we previously characterised ppchit1, a midgut-specific chitinase secreted in phlebotomus papatasi (ppis) that is involved in the maturation of the pm and showed that antibodies against ppchit1 reduce the chitinolytic activity in the midgut of several sandfly species. here, sandflies were fed on red blood cells reconstituted with naïve or an ...025591111
identification of rhabdoviral sequences in oropharyngeal swabs from german and danish bats.in the frame of active lyssavirus surveillance in bats, oropharyngeal swabs from german (n = 2297) and danish (n = 134) insectivorous bats were investigated using a newly developed generic pan-lyssavirus real-time reverse transcriptase pcr (rt-qpcr).201425420461
the contribution of the genomes of a termite and a locust to our understanding of insect neuropeptides and neurohormones.the genomes of the migratory locust locusta migratoria and the termite zootermopsis nevadensis were mined for the presence of genes encoding neuropeptides, neurohormones, and their g-protein coupled receptors (gpcrs). both species have retained a larger number of neuropeptide and neuropeptide gpcrs than the better known holometabolous insect species, while other genes that in holometabolous species appear to have a single transcript produce two different precursors in the locust, the termite or ...201425477824
ipathcons and ipathdb: an improved insect pathway construction tool and the database.insects are one of the most successful animal groups on earth. some insects, such as the silkworm and honeybee, are beneficial to humans, whereas others are notorious pests of crops. at present, the genomes of 38 insects have been sequenced and made publically available. in addition, the transcriptomes of dozens of insects have been sequenced. as gene data rapidly accumulate, constructing the pathway of molecular interactions becomes increasingly important for entomological research. here, we de ...201425388589
endosymbiotic bacteria associated with the mealy bug, rhizoecus amorphophalli (hemiptera: pseudococcidae).the mealy bug, rhizoecus amorphophalli, is a menace to the aroid farmers due to the intensive infestation on stored tubers. spraying of pesticides was able to control this pest but it always left a chance for fungal growth. bacterial endosymbionts associated with the insects provide several benefits to their host. since such endosymbionts play a vital role even in the physiology of their host, revealing the types of bacteria associated with mealy bug will give basic information, which may throw ...201427355014
host modulation by a parasite: how leishmania infantum modifies the intestinal environment of lutzomyia longipalpis to favor its development.some reports have described the interference of leishmania on sand flies physiology, and such behavior most likely evolved to favor the development and transmission of the parasite. most of these studies showed that leishmania could modulate the level of proteases in the midgut after an infective blood meal, and decreased proteolytic activity is indeed beneficial for the development of promastigotes in the gut of sand flies. in the present study, we performed a detailed investigation of the inte ...201425365351
surface polar lipids differ in male and female phlebotomus papatasi (diptera: psychodidae).the polar lipids on the surface of the old world sand fly, phlebotomus papatasi (scopoli), were analyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry. blood-fed females and nonblood-fed females and males were separately analyzed and compared. the major polar lipids were found to be long-chain diols and fatty acids. relatively high levels of diacylglycerols were found in blood-fed females and in males. a wide variety of lipids were found at low levels, including esters, sterols, monoacylglycerols, and hy ...025814772
[cutaneous leishmaniasis by leishmania major and leishmania tropica in morocco: comparative epidemioclinical aspects of 268 cases]. 201425810796
resurgence of cutaneous leishmaniasis in israel, 2001-2012.cutaneous leishmaniasis has long been endemic in israel. after a 15-year period of moderate illness rates, reported incidence increased from 0.4 cases per 100,000 population in 2001 to 4.4 cases per 100,000 population in 2012, and the disease emerged in areas where its presence had previously been minimal. we analyzed all cases reported to the national surveillance system and found that outbreak patterns revealed an expansion of leishmania major infections over large areas in the southern part o ...025271882
the associations of leishmania major and leishmania tropica aspects by focusing their morphological and molecular features on clinical appearances in khuzestan province, iran.cutaneous leishmaniasis has various phenotypic aspects consisting of polymorphic amastigotes with different genetic ranges. samples were collected from suspected patients of khuzestan province. prepared smears were stained, scaled, and measured using ocular micrometer. the cyt b, its-rdna, and microsatellite genes of leishmania were amplified and leishmania species were identified by molecular analyses. of 150 examined suspected patients, 102 were identified to leishmania species (90 l. major, n ...201425317423
epidemiology, pathology and treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in taif region of saudi arabia.cutaneous leishmaniasis is an annoying and disfiguring disease affecting around 1,500,000 individuals globally. there are endemic pockets of this disease in taif region. in some patients, lesion often weeps and leads to scar formation. the study was conducted to see the efficacy of fluconazole and itraconazole in the patients of cutaneous leishmaniasis and the effect of these drugs on liver enzymes and kidney markers.025678921
multilocus sequence and microsatellite identification of intra-specific hybrids and ancestor-like donors among natural ethiopian isolates of leishmania donovani.protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania (kinetoplastida: trypanosomatidae) cause widespread and devastating human diseases. visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in ethiopia where it has also been responsible for fatal epidemics. it is postulated that genetic exchange in leishmania has implications for heterosis (hybrid vigour), spread of virulent strains, resistance to chemotherapeutics, and exploitation of different hosts and vectors. here we analyse 11 natural ethiopian leishmania donovani is ...201424995620
prevalence and determinants of leishmania major infection in emerging and old foci in tunisia.zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) due to leishmania major (l. major) is still a serious public health problem in tunisia. this study aimed to compare the prevalence and risk factors associated with l. major infection in old and new foci using leishmanin skin test (lst) in central tunisia.201425142220
identification of leishmania isolates from varzaneh city, isfahan province, iran using nested polymerase chain reaction method.leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease, is caused by the leishmania genus, a protozoan parasite transmitted by sand fly arthropods. cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) in old world is usually caused by l. major, l. tropica, and l. aethiopica complexes. one of the most important hyper endemic areas of cl in iran is isfahan province. varzaneh is a city in the eastern part of isfahan province. due to different biological patterns of parasite strains which are distributed in the region, this study was design t ...201425221770
what's behind a sand fly bite? the profound effect of sand fly saliva on host hemostasis, inflammation and immunity.sand flies are blood-feeding insects and vectors of the leishmania parasite. for many years, saliva of these insects has represented a gold mine for the discovery of molecules with anti-hemostatic and immuno-modulatory activities. furthermore, proteins in sand fly saliva have been shown to be a potential vaccine against leishmaniasis and also markers of vector exposure. a bottleneck to progress in these areas of research has been the identification of molecules responsible for the observed activ ...201425117872
zoonotic disease in a peripheral population: persistence and transmission of leishmania major in a putative sink-source system in the negev highlands, israel.populations at the edge of their geographic distributions are referred to as peripheral populations. very little attention has been given to this topic in the context of persistence of infectious disease in natural populations. in this study, we examined this question using zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) caused by leishmania major in the negev desert of israel as a model system. here, we suggest that the regional persistence of phlebotomus papatasi populations and l. major transmission i ...025072990
population genetics of leishmania (leishmania) major dna isolated from cutaneous leishmaniasis patients in pakistan based on multilocus microsatellite typing.cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) is a major and fast increasing public health problem, both among the local pakistani populations and the afghan refugees in camps. leishmania (leishmania) major is one of the etiological agents responsible for cl in pakistan. genetic variability and population structure have been investigated for 66 dna samples of l. (l.) major isolated from skin biopsy of cl patients.201425030377
de novo transcriptome sequencing and sequence analysis of the malaria vector anopheles sinensis (diptera: culicidae).anopheles sinensis is the major malaria vector in china and southeast asia. vector control is one of the most effective measures to prevent malaria transmission. however, there is little transcriptome information available for the malaria vector. to better understand the biological basis of malaria transmission and to develop novel and effective means of vector control, there is a need to build a transcriptome dataset for functional genomics analysis by large-scale rna sequencing (rna-seq).201425000941
spy: a new group of eukaryotic dna transposons without target site duplications.class 2 or dna transposons populate the genomes of most eukaryotes and like other mobile genetic elements have a profound impact on genome evolution. most dna transposons belong to the cut-and-paste types, which are relatively simple elements characterized by terminal-inverted repeats (tirs) flanking a single gene encoding a transposase. all eukaryotic cut-and-paste transposons so far described are also characterized by target site duplications (tsds) of host dna generated upon chromosomal inser ...201424966181
profiling of human acquired immunity against the salivary proteins of phlebotomus papatasi reveals clusters of differential immunoreactivity.phlebotomus papatasi sand flies are among the primary vectors of leishmania major parasites from morocco to the indian subcontinent and from southern europe to central and eastern africa. antibody-based immunity to sand fly salivary gland proteins in human populations remains a complex contextual problem that is not yet fully understood. we profiled the immunoreactivities of plasma antibodies to sand fly salivary gland sonicates (sgss) from 229 human blood donors residing in different regions of ...201424615125
entomological study of sand flies (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) in asalouyeh, the heartland of an iranian petrochemical industry.to investigate the fauna and seasonal activity of different species of sand flies (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) in asalouyeh, the heartland of an iranian petrochemical industry, southern iran, as a oil rich district. sand flies are the vectors of at least three different kinds of disease, the most important of which is leishmaniasis, and it is a major public health problem in iran with increased annual occurrence of clinical episodes.025183089
strategies to overcome antileishmanial drugs unresponsiveness.in the absence of effective vector control measures and vaccines against leishmaniasis, effective chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment. as the armoury of antileishmanial drugs is limited, strategies should be made to target the emergence of drug resistance. the loss of efficacy of antimonials such as sodium stibogluconate in the indian subcontinent which has been the mainstay of treatment for more than six decades has raised concern to save the other drugs. in the current review, we hi ...201424876851
genome sequence of the tsetse fly (glossina morsitans): vector of african trypanosomiasis.tsetse flies are the sole vectors of human african trypanosomiasis throughout sub-saharan africa. both sexes of adult tsetse feed exclusively on blood and contribute to disease transmission. notable differences between tsetse and other disease vectors include obligate microbial symbioses, viviparous reproduction, and lactation. here, we describe the sequence and annotation of the 366-megabase glossina morsitans morsitans genome. analysis of the genome and the 12,308 predicted protein-encoding ge ...024763584
characterization of the early inflammatory infiltrate at the feeding site of infected sand flies in mice protected from vector-transmitted leishmania major by exposure to uninfected bites.mice exposed to sand fly saliva are protected against vector-transmitted leishmania major. although protection has been related to ifn-γ producing t cells, the early inflammatory response orchestrating this outcome has not been defined.201424762408
an investigation into the protein composition of the teneral glossina morsitans morsitans peritrophic matrix.tsetse flies serve as biological vectors for several species of african trypanosomes. in order to survive, proliferate and establish a midgut infection, trypanosomes must cross the tsetse fly peritrophic matrix (pm), which is an acellular gut lining surrounding the blood meal. crossing of this multi-layered structure occurs at least twice during parasite migration and development, but the mechanism of how trypanosomes do so is not understood. in order to better comprehend the molecular events su ...201424763256
identification and expression of capa gene in the fire ant, solenopsis invicta.recent genome analyses suggested the absence of a number of neuropeptide genes in ants. one of the apparently missing genes was the capa gene. capa gene expression in insects is typically associated with the neuroendocrine system of abdominal ganglia; mature capa peptides are known to regulate diuresis and visceral muscle contraction. the apparent absence of the capa gene raised questions about possible compensation of these functions. in this study, we re-examined this controversial issue and s ...201424718032
identifying vaccine targets for anti-leishmanial vaccine development.leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease spread by an arthropod vector. it remains a significant health problem with an incidence of 0.2–0.4 million visceral leishmaniasis and 0.7–1.2 million cutaneous leishmaniasis cases each year. there are limitations associated with the current therapeutic regimens for leishmaniasis and the fact that after recovery from infection the host becomes immune to subsequent infection therefore, these factors force the feasibility of a vaccine for leishmaniasis ...024606556
live vaccination tactics: possible approaches for controlling visceral leishmaniasis.vaccination with durable immunity is the main goal and fundamental to control leishmaniasis. to stimulate the immune response, small numbers of parasites are necessary to be presented in the mammalian host. similar to natural course of infection, strategy using live vaccine is more attractive when compared to other approaches. live vaccines present the whole spectrum of antigens to the host immune system in the absence of any adjuvant. leishmanization was the first effort for live vaccination an ...201424744757
enhanced protective efficacy of nonpathogenic recombinant leishmania tarentolae expressing cysteine proteinases combined with a sand fly salivary antigen.novel vaccination approaches are needed to prevent leishmaniasis. live attenuated vaccines are the gold standard for protection against intracellular pathogens such as leishmania and there have been new developments in this field. the nonpathogenic to humans lizard protozoan parasite, leishmania (l) tarentolae, has been used effectively as a vaccine platform against visceral leishmaniasis in experimental animal models. correspondingly, pre-exposure to sand fly saliva or immunization with a saliv ...201424675711
cutaneous leishmaniasis in north africa: a review.in north african countries, cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission has been increasing since the 1980s, with a significant increase in the incidence of cases and a spread of the geographical distribution. the disease currently represents a major public health problem with a productivity gap and an impediment for development, which results in dramatic socioeconomic and psycho-sanitary impacts. the incidence is more than thousands of cases every year in algeria, libya, morocco, and tunisia. in egypt ...201424626301
concomitant infection with leishmania donovani and l. major in single ulcers of cutaneous leishmaniasis patients from sudan.in sudan human leishmaniasis occurs in different clinical forms, that is, visceral (vl), cutaneous (cl), mucocutaneous (ml), and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (pkdl). clinical samples from 69 sudanese patients with different clinical manifestations were subjected to a pcr targeting the cytochrome oxidase ii (coii) gene for leishmania species identification. mixed infections were suspected due to multiple overlapping peaks presented in some sequences of the coii amplicons. cloning these amp ...201424744788
stingray: system for integrated genomic resources and analysis.the stingray system has been conceived to ease the tasks of integrating, analyzing, annotating and presenting genomic and expression data from sanger and next generation sequencing (ngs) platforms.201424606808
characterization of bactrocera dorsalis serine proteases and evidence for their indirect role in insecticide tolerance.the oriental fruit fly bactrocera dorsalis (hendel) causes devastating losses to agricultural crops world-wide and is considered to be an economically important pest. little is known about the digestive enzymes such as serine proteases (sps) in b. dorsalis, which are important both for energy supply and mitigation of fitness cost associated with insecticide tolerance. in this study, we identified five sp genes in the midgut of b. dorsalis, and the alignments of their deduced amino acid sequences ...201424566149
a prospective cohort study of cutaneous leishmaniasis risk and opium addiction in south eastern iran.opium addiction and cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) are endemic in different parts of iran, particularly in bam, where a massive earthquake occurred. this study was designed to compare the incidence rate and severity of cl cases among opium addicted and non-addicted individuals in south-eastern iran. this study was carried out as a prospective cohort by active house-to-house visits of 1,481 habitants in bam. cl cases were confirmed by smear and identification of leishmania species was performed usi ...201424586494
genomic confirmation of hybridisation and recent inbreeding in a vector-isolated leishmania population.although asexual reproduction via clonal propagation has been proposed as the principal reproductive mechanism across parasitic protozoa of the leishmania genus, sexual recombination has long been suspected, based on hybrid marker profiles detected in field isolates from different geographical locations. the recent experimental demonstration of a sexual cycle in leishmania within sand flies has confirmed the occurrence of hybridisation, but knowledge of the parasite life cycle in the wild still ...201424453988
an insight into the transcriptome of the digestive tract of the bloodsucking bug, rhodnius prolixus.the bloodsucking hemipteran rhodnius prolixus is a vector of chagas' disease, which affects 7-8 million people today in latin america. in contrast to other hematophagous insects, the triatomine gut is compartmentalized into three segments that perform different functions during blood digestion. here we report analysis of transcriptomes for each of the segments using pyrosequencing technology. comparison of transcript frequency in digestive libraries with a whole-body library was used to evaluate ...201424416461
the burden of parasitic zoonoses in nepal: a systematic review.parasitic zoonoses (pzs) pose a significant but often neglected threat to public health, especially in developing countries. in order to obtain a better understanding of their health impact, summary measures of population health may be calculated, such as the disability-adjusted life year (daly). however, the data required to calculate such measures are often not readily available for these diseases, which may lead to a vicious circle of under-recognition and under-funding.201424392178
field evaluation of alphacypermethrin in indoor residual spraying for leishmaniasis control in an endemic area, northern morocco.in morocco, the main strategies of leishmaniasis vector control are based on environmental modifications. use of local residual indoor spraying with synthetic pyrethroids is often envisaged. the need to evaluate this control method is essential. the current study was conducted to determine the efficacy of an alphacypermethrin irs program against leishmaniasis vectors in an endemic area in the north of morocco.201324330760
genomic, rnaseq, and molecular modeling evidence suggests that the major allergen domain in insects evolved from a homodimeric origin.the major allergen domain (ma) is widely distributed in insects. the crystal structure of a single bla g 1 ma revealed a novel protein fold in which the fundamental structure was a duplex of two subsequences (monomers), which had diverged over time. this suggested that the evolutionary origin of the ma structure may have been a homodimer of this smaller subsequence. using publicly available genomic data, the distribution of the basic unit of this class of proteins was determined to better unders ...024253356
mechanisms of cellular invasion by intracellular parasites.numerous disease-causing parasites must invade host cells in order to prosper. collectively, such pathogens are responsible for a staggering amount of human sickness and death throughout the world. leishmaniasis, chagas disease, toxoplasmosis, and malaria are neglected diseases and therefore are linked to socio-economical and geographical factors, affecting well-over half the world's population. such obligate intracellular parasites have co-evolved with humans to establish a complexity of specif ...201324221133
molecular identification of potential leishmaniasis vector species within the phlebotomus (euphlebotomus) argentipes species complex in sri lanka.leishmaniasis is an emerging vector-borne disease in sri lanka. phlebotomus (euphlebotomus) argentipes sensu lato annandale and brunette 1908 is suspected to be a potential vector. three sibling species have been reported in the species complex based on analysis of morphological data. a study was carried out in different parts of sri lanka including cutaneous leishmaniasis prevailing localities to characterise the sibling species of phlebotomus (euphlebotomus) argentipes sensu lato and to establ ...201324499561
in silico identification of a candidate synthetic peptide (tsgf118-43) to monitor human exposure to tsetse flies in west africa.the analysis of humoral responses directed against the saliva of blood-sucking arthropods was shown to provide epidemiological biomarkers of human exposure to vector-borne diseases. however, the use of whole saliva as antigen presents several limitations such as problems of mass production, reproducibility and specificity. the aim of this study was to design a specific biomarker of exposure to tsetse flies based on the in silico analysis of three glossina salivary proteins (ada, ag5 and tsgf1) p ...201324086785
the leishmania major bbsome subunit bbs1 is essential for parasite virulence in the mammalian host.bardet-biedl syndrome (bbs) is a human genetic disorder with a spectrum of symptoms caused by primary cilium dysfunction. the disease is caused by mutations in one of at least 17 identified genes, of which seven encode subunits of the bbsome, a protein complex required for specific trafficking events to and from the primary cilium. the molecular mechanisms associated with bbsome function remain to be fully elucidated. here, we generated null and complemented mutants of the bbsome subunit bbs1 in ...201323998526
fine structure of the male reproductive system and reproductive behavior of lutzomyia longipalpis sandflies (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).the male reproductive system of insects can have several tissues responsible for the secretion of seminal fluid proteins (sfps), such as testes, accessory glands, seminal vesicles, ejaculatory duct and ejaculatory bulb. the sfps are transferred during mating and can induce several physiological and behavioral changes in females, such as increase in oviposition and decrease in sexual receptivity after copulation. the phlebotomine lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis. ...201324058637
ecological and control techniques for sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) associated with rodent reservoirs of leishmaniasis.leishmaniasis remains a global health problem because of the substantial holes that remain in our understanding of sand fly ecology and the failure of traditional vector control methods. the specific larval food source is unknown for all but a few sand fly species, and this is particularly true for the vectors of leishmania parasites. we provide methods and materials that could be used to understand, and ultimately break, the transmission cycle of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.201324069489
first report on isolation and characterization of leishmania major from meriones hurrianae (rodentia: gerbillidae) of a rural cutaneous leishmaniasis focus in south-eastern iran.zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) is an endemic health problem in many rural areas of iran, with doubled number of incidences over the last decade. different species of rodents serve as natural reservoir host for zcl. the disease is considered as a major health problem in rural areas of mirjaveh, chabahar, and konarak counties of sistan va baluchistan province.201324616787
the effect of avian blood on leishmania development in phlebotomus duboscqi.the development of pathogens transmitted by haematophagous invertebrate vectors is closely connected with the digestion of bloodmeals and is thus affected by midgut enzymatic activity. some studies have demonstrated that avian blood inhibits leishmania major infection in the old world vector phlebotomus papatasi; however, this effect has never been observed in the new world vectors of the genus lutzomyia infected by other leishmania species. therefore, our study was focused on the effect of chic ...201324059328
kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitors in the midgut of phlebotomus papatasi.sandflies (diptera: psychodidae) are important disease vectors of parasites of the genus leishmania, as well as bacteria and viruses. following studies of the midgut transcriptome of phlebotomus papatasi, the principal vector of leishmania major, two non-classical kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitors were identified (ppkzl1 and ppkzl2). analyses of expression profiles indicated that ppkzl1 and ppkzl2 transcripts are both regulated by blood-feeding in the midgut of p. papatasi and are also exp ...024037187
laboratory evaluation of a rodenticide-insecticide, coumavec®, against rhombomys opimus, the main reservoir host of zoonotic cutaneouse leishmaniasis in iran.zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is a growing health problem in many rural areas of iran. rhombomys opimus, the great gerbil, is the main animal reservoir of zcl in the northeast and central part of iran. the aim of the current study was to evaluate the rodenticidal effect of coumavec® (a mixture of coumatetralyl 0.5% and etofenprox 0.5%) on r. opimus under laboratory condition.201324409445
an interview with dr. magda azab. 024471008
niakha virus: a novel member of the family rhabdoviridae isolated from phlebotomine sandflies in senegal.members of the family rhabdoviridae have been assigned to eight genera but many remain unassigned. rhabdoviruses have a remarkably diverse host range that includes terrestrial and marine animals, invertebrates and plants. transmission of some rhabdoviruses often requires an arthropod vector, such as mosquitoes, midges, sandflies, ticks, aphids and leafhoppers, in which they replicate. herein we characterize niakha virus (niav), a previously uncharacterized rhabdovirus isolated from phebotomine s ...201323773405
nested polymerase chain reaction and sequence- based detection of leishmania infection of sand flies in recently emerged endemic focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis, southern iran.geographical distribution of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) has continuously been extended in recent years in iran. the beiza district is one of the newly-emerged endemic foci of zcl in southern iran. the main aim of the present study was to detect the vector(s) of zcl in this area.024031105
dual effect of lutzomyia longipalpis saliva on leishmania braziliensis infection is mediated by distinct saliva-induced cellular recruitment into balb/c mice ear.leishmania parasites are transmitted to their vertebrate hosts by infected phlebotomine sand flies during the blood meal of the flies. sand fly saliva is known to enhance leishmania spp. infection, while pre-exposure to saliva protects mice against parasitic infections. in this study, we investigated the initial inflammatory leucocyte composition induced by one or three inocula of salivary gland extract (sge) from lutzomyia longipalpis in the presence or absence of leishmania braziliensis.201323656976
war diseases revealed by the social media: massive leishmaniasis outbreak in the syrian spring.social media introduce pivotal changes to communication between individuals, organizations and communities. a clear example of the power of social media is the spread of the revolutionary outbreaks in the arabic countries during 2011, where people used facebook, youtube and skype to communicate, organise meetings and protest actions. here i report how doctor-activists use these social media as an alarm system for 'war disease' outbreaks in the syrian spring. social media are used as an alarm sys ...201323587258
the first report of eustigmaeus johnstoni (acari: stigmaeidae) parasitic mite of phlebotominae sand flies from iran.stigmaeids mites have been recorded only on phlebotominae sand flies up to now. five species of eustigmaeus, and three of stigmaeus were reported on infested sandflies in different country up to the present.201323785700
lectin activity in gut extract of culex pipiens.the role of lectins is important in interaction between pathogens and mosquito vectors. this study was performed to identify agglutinin activities of protein molecules on the midgut of culex pipiens.201323785692
appraisal of phlebotomus argentipes habitat suitability using a remotely sensed index in the kala-azar endemic focus of bihar, india.visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar, is recognised as a serious emerging public health problem in india. in this study, environmental parameters, such as land surface temperature (lst) and renormalised difference vegetation indices (rdvi), were used to delineate the association between environmental variables and phlebotomus argentipes abundance in a representative endemic region of bihar, india. the adult p. argentipes were collected between september 2009-february 2010 using the hand-held asp ...023579800
inhibitor profile of bis(n)-tacrines and n-methylcarbamates on acetylcholinesterase from rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus and phlebotomus papatasi.the cattle tick, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus (bm), and the sand fly, phlebotomus papatasi (pp), are disease vectors to cattle and humans, respectively. the purpose of this study was to characterize the inhibitor profile of acetylcholinesterases from bm (bmache1) and pp (ppache) compared to human and bovine ache, in order to identify divergent pharmacology that might lead to selective inhibitors. results indicate that bmache has low sensitivity (ic50 = 200 μm) toward tacrine, a monovalent ...024187393
characterization of phlebotomus papatasi peritrophins, and the role of ppper1 in leishmania major survival in its natural vector.the peritrophic matrix (pm) plays a key role in compartmentalization of the blood meal and as barrier to pathogens in many disease vectors. to establish an infection in sand flies, leishmania must escape from the endoperitrophic space to prevent excretion with remnants of the blood meal digestion. in spite of the role played regarding leishmania survival, little is known about sand fly pm molecular components and structural organization. we characterized three peritrophins (ppper1, ppper2, and p ...201323516661
transcriptome exploration of the sex pheromone gland of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).molecules involved in pheromone biosynthesis may represent alternative targets for insect population control. this may be particularly useful in managing the reproduction of lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector of the protozoan parasite leishmania infantum in latin america. besides the chemical identity of the major components of the l. longipalpis sex pheromone, there is no information regarding the molecular biology behind its production. to understand this process, obtaining information on ...201323497448
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