Inventaire biologie et écologie des ‎ rongeurs réservoirs de la leishmaniose cutanée ‎zoonotique dans la région de Sétif / Fellahi, Amina

Abstract

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is the most endemic disease in Algeria. Leishmania major is the causative agent, and Gerbils Meriones shawi and Psammomys obesus are the main reservoir hosts. The department of Setif in Algeria has become a very active focus for this zoonosis. Our study was carried out from January 2017 until January 2019 in ten representative stations of the study region, in an aim to identify the association between the zoonosis and the reservoir host species. One hundred and twelve (112) rodent were captured, and the morphometallic characters were determined including: Meriones shawi (86/112)=(76.78 %), Psammomys obesus (3/112)=(2.67 %), Mus musculus (5/112)=(4.46 %), Ratus ratus (12/112)=(10.71 %), Gerbilus gerbilus (4/112)=(3.57 %) and Duprasi sp (2/112)=(1.78 %). Superficial lesions were subjected to Giemsa stained smears. In addition, Livers and spleens were tested for Leishmania DNA using ITS1 PCR. The results showed the presence of M. shawi in almost all communities of Setif region and the highest population with 50 specimens (58.13%) was in the center and south. The microscopic and molecular detection of Leishmania showed high infestation in most specimens of Meriones (32/86) with a rate of 37.20 %, however no infestation in Psammomys has been detected. The PCA results showed a negative association between rainfall and ZCL cases; however, positive association was found between temperature and the human CL ceses. Also, positive association was demonstrated between ZCL in south and center of Setif region and Meriones captured. Our finding, confirm that M. shawi is the principal reservoir host (76.78%) of the ZCL in Setif region, since P. obesus was nearly absent (2.67%).