Study of virulence of the Leishmania tropica major strains isolated from gerbils (Rhombomys opimus Licht.) under different landscape condition in Turkmenistan
Ponirovskiĭ, E.N.; Mel'kumiants, A.N.; Lukmanova, N.E.
Meditsinskaia Parazitologiia i Parazitarnye Bolezni 49(2): 43-46
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-8326 PMID: 6446666 Document Number: 168227
Experimental studies in white mice of the virulence of 26 L. t. major strains isolated from great gerbils in different landscape-geographical zones of the Turkmen SSR established that highly virulent strains circulated in the territory hyperendemic for zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL), namely in the Tedzhen river valley where the population density of Phlebotomus papatasi is very high and the infection rate of great gerbils was 100% and the animals showed marked clinical manifestations of ZCL. In the areas deep in sand desert of the Central and Zaunguz Karakums, free from ZCL, where the predominant vector species is P. andrejevi and the infection rate of great gerbils is low (frequently with the asymptomatic carrier state) ZCL causative agent strains of low virulence occur. Strains of moderate virulence are isolated from great gerbils in the southern edge of the Central Karakums and in Kopet-Dag foothills.