ABSTRACT

This study aimed to explore the role of Rhipicephalus sanguineus in the transmission of Leishmania major, the etiological agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Ten gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) were infected with promastigotes of L. major, and 10 gerbils were maintained as controls. In a controlled environment, 2000 R. sanguineus larvae were fed to two gerbils. Following feeding to gerbils, 65 tick pools were prepared from the engorged larvae and molted unfed nymphs. These pools were tested for the presence of L. major using polymerase chain reaction and real time (RT) PCR.

One of the infected gerbil was anesthetized and necropsied following the dropping of all fed larvae. Following the examination, amastigotes were detected in all organs and tissues. PCR and RT-PCR were performed to test whether the engorged R. sanguineus larvae successfully took the parasite while feeding and was able to transmit it to the next nymphal stage; however, none of the tick pools were found to be positive for L. major.

Although L.major was not detected in ticks that fed on gerbils, using dogs in experimental studies related to leishmaniasis will give clearer results in terms of detecting the potential role of insects and acars.

Keywords: Gerbil, Leishmania major, transmission, Rhipicephalus sanguineus