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Khelifi Touhami NA, Ouchene N, Ouchetati I, Naghib I. Animal leishmaniasis in Algeria: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2023; 93:101930. [PMID: 36584413 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2022.101930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical parasitic vector-borne disease that has emerged or re-emerged in recent years and is a major health problem. Algeria is a country where leishmaniasis reaches high levels of endemicity. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to collect, compile and summarise data on the prevalence of animal leishmaniasis in Algeria. Data were collected from 2004 to 2022 during which a number of 12 papers were published from dogs, cats, hedgehogs, and jackals. A total of 4812 dogs, 388 stray cats, 24 hedgehogs and 2 Jackals were included in this analysis. The diagnosis of leishmaniasis was performed using serological or molecular tests. The overall prevalence in dogs was 21.2 % (95 %CI, 15.7-26.9 %), and in stray cats, hedgehogs and Jackal was, respectively, 25.3 % (95 %CI, 17-36.6 %), 20.8 % (95 %CI, 8.8-40.9 %) and 50 %. This study is a comprehensive epidemiological analysis of canine leishmaniasis in Algeria and will therefore be a useful tool for researchers. Further studies are needed for a better and continuous assessment of the occurrence of this zoonosis. It can also be used to propose or improve appropriate national surveillance programs for these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadjet Amina Khelifi Touhami
- Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University Saad Dahlab of Blida 1, Street Soumâa, BP270, 09000 Blida, Algeria.
| | - Nassim Ouchene
- Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University Saad Dahlab of Blida 1, Street Soumâa, BP270, 09000 Blida, Algeria
| | - Imane Ouchetati
- Normal High School of Technological Teaching, University of Skikda, 21000 Skikda, Algeria
| | - Ines Naghib
- Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University Saad Dahlab of Blida 1, Street Soumâa, BP270, 09000 Blida, Algeria
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Saberi R, Fakhar M, Hajjaran H, Abbaszadeh Afshar MJ, Mohebali M, Hezarjaribi HZ, Moghadam Y, Sharbatkhori M. Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) exacerbates dermal lesions caused by Leishmania major and comparatively unresponsive to meglumine antimoniate treatment. Exp Parasitol 2022; 241:108340. [PMID: 35932908 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The present study investigated the possible role of Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) in the severity of dermal lesions and treatment failure due to Leishmania major. METHODS The drug susceptibility of 14 clinical isolates of L.major, including resistant (n = 7) and sensitive (n = 7) isolates, was checked in the J774A.1 macrophage cell line. The presence of LRV2 among isolates was investigated by the RdRp gene and semi-nested PCR. Moreover, 1 × 106 sensitive L. major LRV2+ and LRV2- promastigotes were inoculated subcutaneously into the base tails of the 40 BALB/c mice divided into 4 groups (n = 10 in each group), including clinical LRV2+, clinical LRV2-, positive control LRV2+ and negative control LRV2-. The groups were infected with a unique isolate. The lesion size and parasite burden were evaluated. RESULTS Sensitive and resistant isolates were determined by the drug susceptibility method. A higher presence of LRV2 was observed among MA-resistant isolates (6/7) compared with susceptible isolates (4/7), which was not statistically significant (P = 0.237). On the other hand, a comparison of the lesion sizes between the LRV2+ and LRV2- BALB/c mice groups revealed that the mean size of the lesion in the LRV2+ groups was significantly higher than the LRV2- (P = 0.034). In the same direction, there was an increased parasite burden in mice inoculated with LRV2+ groups compared with the LRV2- BALB/c mice groups (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Our findings showed that the presence of LRV2 could be one of the factors contributing to exacerbating CL. Although we found a higher presence of LRV2 in the resistant isolates, it seems that further investigations are recommended to determine the detailed association between lesions' aggravation and being comparatively unresponsive to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Saberi
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Center, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mahdi Fakhar
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Center, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Homa Hajjaran
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hajar Ziaei Hezarjaribi
- Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Yusef Moghadam
- Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mitra Sharbatkhori
- Laboratory Sciences Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
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Moin-Vaziri V, Zare F, Seyyed Tabaei SJ, Saberi R, Hajjaran H. Successful Isolation of Leishmania RNA Virus (LRV) from Leishmania major in a Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Focus in Central Iran: An Update on Cases. Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:1290-1298. [PMID: 35773567 PMCID: PMC9245859 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-022-00575-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major vector-borne disease that affects people globally, including Iran. Different factors are associated with leishmaniasis pathogenicity; recently, a link of the possible relationship between Leishmania RNA Virus (LRV) and disease severity was proposed, especially in the New World leishmaniasis (NWL). This study was aimed to investigate the presence of LRV2 in Leishmania isolates in Aran o Bidgol, Isfahan province. Methods Samples were collected from 110 CL-suspected patients referred to the health center. In this study, we aimed to investigate CL cases (parasitologically and clinically), identify Leishmania species (by ITS1-PCR–RFLP), and finally detection of LRV2 (by RdRp-semi-nested PCR). Results Parasitological methods showed 60 positive cases, based on the HaeIII enzyme restriction profile, 59 cases were caused by L. major and 1 case by L. tropica. Our project is the first study on LRV2 isolation in Aran o Bidgol city and the LRV was successfully detected from a single L. major isolated in a women’s hand lesion. Using BLAST, 94.8–100% similarity was observed in the RdRp sequence of current LRV isolate with those available in GenBank from Iran or overseas. Conclusion L. major was the main cause of CL in Aran o Bidgol, although L. tropica is also present in a much lower proportion in the area. This is the first report on the presence of LRV2 in Aran o Bidgol and the fifth in Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahideh Moin-Vaziri
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Zare
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyyed Javad Seyyed Tabaei
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Saberi
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Homa Hajjaran
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Anti-parasitic activity of the Olea europaea and Ficus carica on Leishmania major: new insight into the anti-leishmanial agents. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01066-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Taxonomy, Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of Iranian Leishmania Strains of Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:1274-1284. [PMID: 33942225 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00377-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the broad distribution of leishmaniasis in Iran, there is a little genetic information about the causative agents and epidemiological status of the disease. Genetic diversity of the parasite is suggested to be one of the factors, which influences the clinical manifestations of the disease. In this study, we investigated the genetic variations, population structure, and evolutionary history of Leishmania species from endemic foci of Iran. METHODS Fifty-two isolates from humans, canines, and rodents from different endemic foci of Iran were used to sequence the N-acetyl glucosamine-1-phosphate transferase (Nagt) gene. Phylogenetic and structure analyses were performed to investigate inter- and intra-species diversity of the Leishmania isolates. RESULTS In total, 10 haplotypes including L. major (n = 6), L. tropica (n = 2), L. infantum (n = 1) and L. turanica (n = 1) were identified across 52 isolates. Haplotype diversity (Hd) ranged from zero for L. infantum and L. turanica to 0.78 ± 0.136 for L. major. This study identified population structure of Leishmania isolates from different geographical regions of Iran. The results of the phylogenetic tree showed 4 distinct clades for each species of Leishmania. In addition, the highest intraspecies diversity was observed among L. major isolates. No correlation was observed between species and geographic distribution of haplotypes. CONCLUSIONS Leishmania isolates were identified at the species level using the Nagt gene, low variation within species indicates conservation of this gene in Leishmania. The results provide knowledge into the evolutionary history of Iranian Leishmania isolates.
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Hajjaran H, Saberi R, Borjian A, Fakhar M, Hosseini SA, Ghodrati S, Mohebali M. The Geographical Distribution of Human Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmania Species Identified by Molecular Methods in Iran: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Front Public Health 2021; 9:661674. [PMID: 34249836 PMCID: PMC8267797 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.661674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the most common vector-borne parasitic diseases in Iran. Leishmania species identification is necessary for epidemiological aspects, precise prognosis, control and treatment of the disease. We systematically searched all the studies, reports, and documentation related to species identification and geographical distribution of causative agents of cutaneous (CL), mucosal (ML), and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) using DNA-based molecular diagnostic techniques in Iran. International databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Embase, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science were systemically searched for English articles and Iran's databases including SID, IranMedex and Magiran were searched for Persian reports and articles. Searches were performed from 1999 to 2019 (20 years). The current review was conducted using the keywords: cutaneous leishmaniasis, visceral leishmaniasis, Leishmania species, Human, Molecular, PCR, and Iran. The study quality was evaluated using the NOS checklist. This meta-analysis procedure was accomplished using STATA, version 2.7.9. Of the 3,426 records identified in the initial search, 154 articles met inclusion criteria and qualified for the systematic review and meta-analysis. In subgroup analysis, the pooled frequency of causative agents of CL isolates was 67.3% (95% CI: 59.51–74.67%) for L. major and 32.1% (95% CI: 24.72–39.87%) for L. tropica. In addition, the pooled frequency of causative agents of VL isolates was 97.1% (95% CI: 94.6–98.8%) for L. infantum and 2.9% (95% CI: 1.12–5.37%) for L. tropica. The findings of this study showed that the main causative agents of CL and VL in Iran are L. major and L. infantum, respectively. Moreover, kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and internal transcriber spacer (ITS) were the most used markers for identifying Leishmania species. The current study provides valuable data to encourage and direct researchers as well as public health managers in the comprehensive leishmaniasis control and prevention planning in Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Homa Hajjaran
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Saberi
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Alireza Borjian
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Fakhar
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Seyed Abdollah Hosseini
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Sajjad Ghodrati
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Expression analysis of centrin gene in promastigote and amastigote forms of leishmania infantum iranian isolates: a promising target for live attenuated vaccine development against canine leishmaniasis. BMC Vet Res 2021; 17:162. [PMID: 33853591 PMCID: PMC8045990 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02816-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Leishmania parasites express various essential proteins in different growth phases (logarithmic/stationary) and forms (promastigote/amastigote). Targeting the genes encoding such proteins paves the way for controlling these parasites. Centrin is an essential gene, which its protein product seems to be vital for the proliferation of Leishmania parasites. Herein, this study was contrived to analyze the expression level of the centrin gene in different growth phases and forms of Leishmania infantum (L. infantum) parasites isolated from various endemic areas of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) in Iran. Results All three collected isolates were identified as L. infantum using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR revealed a statistically significant up-regulation (3.13-fold) in the logarithmic phase promastigotes compared to stationary ones (p < 0.01), whereas centrin was expressed equally in intracellular amastigotes at different time points during cell culture. Also, our finding revealed a slight up-regulation of the centrin gene (1.22-fold) in the intracellular amastigotes compared to logarithmic phase promastigotes, which was found statistically non-significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions Centrin gene in Iranian isolates of L. infantum is more expressed in exponential than stationary phases and seems to be considered as a promising target in the development of a genetically modified live attenuated vaccine for CanL control.
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Khoshnood S, Tavalla M, Abtahi SM, Jalali-Galousang A, Mohaghegh MA, Khamesipour F, Hejazi SH. Study of fauna, activity patterns and Leishmania infection rate of phlebotomine sand flies in Western Iran. J Parasit Dis 2021; 45:263-272. [PMID: 33746413 PMCID: PMC7921254 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-020-01298-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a crucial vector-borne disease caused by various species of Leishmania and is transmitted by several species of sandflies. The present study was conducted to describe sand fly fauna on vectors of leishmaniasis and performing molecular identification of Leishmania isolates from them on the Iran-Iraq border. Entomological surveys were done from May to October 2016-2018 in 2 counties (Mehran and Dehloran) of Ilam province, west of Iran. Sandflies were collected by 40 Sticky Traps at each station. Samples were mounted for species identification using morphological characters of the head and abdominal terminalia. DNA was extracted from Phlebotomus papatasi females, and Leishmania isolates were identified through PCR on minicircle kDNA, followed by sequencing. A total of 5592 sandflies including 2 genera of Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia comprising 8 species of sand flies were detected. Leishmania major infection was detected in 3.33% of 300 tested female sandflies. Phlebotomus papatasi was predominant in outdoor and indoor resting places. Phlebotomus papatasi was determined as dominant vector of Leishmania major infection in Mehran and Dehloran counties, West of Iran. It seems the composition of sandfly species in the study area is almost similar to the other parts of Iran. A detailed description of the epidemiology and ecology of Phlebotomine sand flies needs to be established to accomplish effective vector control programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saleh Khoshnood
- grid.411036.10000 0001 1498 685XDepartment of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mehdi Tavalla
- grid.411230.50000 0000 9296 6873Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Abtahi
- grid.411036.10000 0001 1498 685XDepartment of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Asadollah Jalali-Galousang
- grid.411528.b0000 0004 0611 9352Department of Vectors Biology and Control, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Ali Mohaghegh
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
- Health Sciences Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Faham Khamesipour
- grid.411600.2Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Hossein Hejazi
- grid.411036.10000 0001 1498 685XDepartment of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- grid.411036.10000 0001 1498 685XSkin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Saberi R, Fakhar M, Hajjaran H, Ataei-Pirkooh A, Mohebali M, Taghipour N, Ziaei Hezarjaribi H, Moghadam Y, Bagheri A. Presence and diversity of Leishmania RNA virus in an old zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis focus, northeastern Iran: haplotype and phylogenetic based approach. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 101:6-13. [PMID: 32947050 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus that circulates within many species of the Leishmania parasite. In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence of LRV2 circulating in Leishmania isolates in an old focus of ZCL located in northeastern of Iran. METHODS Leishmania isolates were collected from 85 patients that confirmed to have cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) based on parasitological examination. To identify the Leishmania isolates, species-specific primer sets were applied for molecular identification. The presence of LRV2 was performed by RdRp-semi nested-PCR. The genetic diversity were calculated using MEGA and DnaSP. To assess haplotype diversity, 31 LRV2 strains in different regions were surveyed using analysis a 292-bp section of the RdRp sequences. RESULTS Out of 85 patients, 83 (97.6 %) were diagnosed with L. major and 2 (2.4 %) with L. tropica. LRV2 virus was detected in 59 (69.4%) of the CL cases. For the first time, LRV2 was reported in one L. tropica strain in Iran. The current LRV2 sequences indicated the highest similarities to an Old World LRV2. Moreover, 10 unique haplotypes were identified based on the analyzed sequences of the RdRp gene. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated the highest occurrence of Leishmania/LRV2 co-circulation in this known ZCL focus from northeastern Iran. Phylogenetic analyses of LRV2 sequences confirmed that these isolates belong to the order of LRV2 from the Old World. This study offered an insight into LRV2 haplotype that the informative issue can be used for genetic research of LRV2 in other regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Saberi
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran, Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Fakhar
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Homa Hajjaran
- Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran, Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Angila Ataei-Pirkooh
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran, Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Niloofar Taghipour
- Department of Tissue engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hajar Ziaei Hezarjaribi
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Yousef Moghadam
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Abouzar Bagheri
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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