Sensitive Molecular Diagnostics for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

BACKGROUND

Rapid diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and identification of species is highly important for the disease management. In Israel, CL is caused mainly by and species.

METHODS

We established an easy to handle point of care lesion-swabbing, combined with a highly sensitive multiplex real time PCR (multiplex qPCR) for accurate and rapid diagnosis of species.

RESULTS

Using three probes: one general for: Leishmania species, and two specific for , and , we screened 1783 clinical samples collected during two years. species was found in 1086 individuals, 1008 , and 70 . Eight samples positive for species only, were further tested using a second set of multiplex qPCR developed, and were found positive for and (2 and 6 samples, concomitantly).

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the test enabled diagnostics and better treatment of infections from the Old World (1078 samples) and the New World (8 samples), and the subtyping of the dominant strains in the region, as well as in returning travelers'.