Visceral Leishmanaisis in eastern Sudan

This research was carried out to determine sand fly vector(s), infection of Phlebotomus orientalis with Leishmania parasites and possible animal reservoir of visceral leishmaniasis in villages and Dinder National Park (DNP) in eastern Sudan. Samples of P. orientalis females were collected from villages in Gedarif State and DNP. The collected females were dissected for present of Leishmania promastigotes as well as analysed by PCR for DNA of the parasites. Blood samples from small wild mammals and domestic dogs were smeared on glass slides and blotted on filter papers Whatmann # 3 for microscopic detection of Leishmania amastigotes and serological detection of anti-Leishmania ant-bodies by DAT respectively. Furthermore, samples from spleen, liver and skin were taken from wild mammals and kept individually in eppendorff tubes with isopropanol. Samples of lymph node aspirates from dogs were also blotted on filter papers for PCR detection of Leishmania parasites. Infected P. orientalis with L. donovani parasites were detected in villages and DNP. Leishmania donovani infection was also detected in Egyptian mongoose and domestic doges.