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چکیده
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Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is a prevalent tropical and subtropical disease transmitted by the bite of Phlebotominae sandflies. This disease remains a public health concern in Iran; therefore the aim of present study was to examine Leishmania infection in sandflies and reservoir rodents in rural regions of Nahavand county, western Iran. Methods: During May to October 2022, sandflies and rodents specimen were collected in six rural areas of Nahavand County. Wire traps and sticky traps were used to collect the specimens. The collected specimens were identified using valid diagnostic keys up to species level. Female sandflies (n=289) and lesion/earlobe specimens from rodents (n=61) were used for Leishmania DNA detection by ITS2 and 18S rRNA PCR and positives were Sanger sequenced. Results: 3396 sandflies including, Phlebotomus papatasi (42.7%), P. major (20.6%), P. mascitti (0.27%), P. neglectus (0.21%), P. alexandri (0.24%), P. turanicus (0.35%), Sergentomyia sintoni (18.1%), S. dentata (10.5%), S. theodori (5.83%), S. antennata (1.09%), and S. pawlowski (0.09%) were caught. Two Leishmania major infections in P. papatasi and one Leishmania sp. in P. major observed. This is the first report of Leishmania infection in sandflies from Hamadan province. Furthermore, 61 rodents including, Arvicola amphibius (37.7%), Mus musculus (29.5%), Microtus socialis (13.11%), Apodemus sylvaticus (11.47%), Talpa davidiana (4.9%), Apodemus witherbyi (1.63%), and Rattus norvegicus (1.63%) were captured; which molecular examination scored negative. Discussion: The presence of Leishmania infection in the Phlebotominae sandflies in Nahavand, indicate a potential threat to humans and animals in the region. Regular monitoring and examination of the sandflies population, as well as timely diagnosis and treatment of new patients, are strongly recommended.
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