BACKGROUND Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL) is an endemic health problem in many rural areas of Iran, with doubled number of incidences over the last decade. Different species of rodents serve as natural reservoir host for ZCL. The disease is considered as a major health problem in rural areas of Mirjaveh, Chabahar, and Konarak Counties of Sistan va Baluchistan Province. OBJECTIVES This...

1School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. Received: 14/04/03; accepted: 26/10/03 ABSTRACT Between 1991–2000, Leishmania species were isolated and characterized by isoenzyme and molecular analysis from rodents caught in various parts of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In areas endemic for cutaneous lei...

conclusions regarding infection rate of 17.8%, m. hurrianae seems to play the major role in the maintenance and transmission of disease to humans in this area. materials and methods rodents were entrapped by live traps baited with roasted walnut, tomato, and cucumber during spring and summer. all rodents were identified based on external features including fur color, ears characteristics, tail ...

Between 1991-2000, Leishmania species were isolated and characterized by isoenzyme and molecular analysis from rodents caught in various parts of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In areas endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis, parasites were observed by direct microscopy in smears from 18.6% of 566 specimens. L. major was isolated from 4 species: Rhombomys opimus, Meriones libycus, Tatera indica and...

genus meriones is the dominant member of gerbils in the palaearctic region, particularly in aride region of asia. this is also one of the most typical genus of subfamily gerbillinae with about 17 morphospecies namely: m. persicus, m. hurrianae, m. zarudnyi m. vinogradovi, m. meridianus, m. libycus, m. crassus, m. tristrami, m. rex, m. tamariscinus, m. unguiculatus, m. shawi, m. grandis, m. sacr...

The desert gerbil, M. hurrianae scent marks the general substratum in its territory with the sebum exudation of mid abdominal gland and urine. Having assessed number of functions, which scent marking plays in the social life of these rodents, the scent marking behaviour was studied in animals, in which the gland was surgically removed and was compared with that of intact rodents. After recovery...

background rodents play a major role in economic losses and public health problems. these animals are considered as natural reservoir hosts of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl), one of the major health concerns in iran. conclusions the spatial and temporal monitoring of wild rodents will help to predict the potential zoonotic rodent-borne diseases. objectives this research was aimed to stu...