Molecular Epidemiology for Vector Research on Leishmaniasis

Hirotomo Kato, Eduardo A. Gomez, Abraham G. Cáceres, Hiroshi Uezato, Tatsuyuki Mimori and Yoshihisa Hashiguchi
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Hirotomo Kato: Department of Veterinary Hygiene, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
Eduardo A. Gomez: Departamento de Oncocercosis, Servicio Nacional de Erradicacion de la Malaria, Ministerio de Salud Publica, Guayaquil 10833, Ecuador
Abraham G. Cáceres: Sección de Entomología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Daniel A. Carrion”, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Lima 1, Perú
Hiroshi Uezato: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0125, Japan
Tatsuyuki Mimori: Department of Microbiology, School of Health Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 862-0976, Japan
Yoshihisa Hashiguchi: Department of Parasitology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi 783-8505, Japan

IJERPH, 2010, vol. 7, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: Leishmaniasis is a protozoan disease caused by the genus Leishmania transmitted by female phlebotomine sand flies. Surveillance of the prevalence of Leishmania and responsive vector species in endemic and surrounding areas is important for predicting the risk and expansion of the disease. Molecular biological methods are now widely applied to epidemiological studies of infectious diseases including leishmaniasis. These techniques are used to detect natural infections of sand fly vectors with Leishmania protozoa and are becoming powerful tools due to their sensitivity and specificity. Recently, genetic analyses have been performed on sand fly species and genotyping using PCR-RFLP has been applied to the sand fly taxonomy. In addition, a molecular mass screening method has been established that enables both sand fly species and natural leishmanial infections to be identified simultaneously in hundreds of sand flies with limited effort. This paper reviews recent advances in the study of sand flies, vectors of leishmaniasis, using molecular biological approaches.

Keywords: Leishmania; sand fly; epidemiology; mass screening (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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