@article{KuhlsMoskalenkoSukiasyanetal.2021, author = {Kuhls, Katrin and Moskalenko, Olga and Sukiasyan, Anna and Manukyan, Dezdemonia and Melik-Andreasyan, Gayane and Atshemyan, Liana and Apresyan, Hripsime and Strelkova, Margarita V. and Jaeschke, Anja and Wieland, Ralf and Frohme, Marcus and Cortes, Sofia and Keshishyan, Ara}, title = {Microsatellite based molecular epidemiology of Leishmania infantum from re-emerging foci of visceral leishmaniasis in Armenia and pilot risk assessment by ecological niche modeling}, series = {PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases}, volume = {15}, journal = {PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases}, number = {4}, publisher = {Public Library of Science (PLoS)}, issn = {1935-2735}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0009288}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:526-opus4-14004}, pages = {e0009288}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. In Armenia visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is re-emerging since 1999 after a long break of 30 years, with 167 cases recorded until 2019. Molecular diagnosis of VL was implemented only in 2016, and the causative agent was identified as L. infantum. In the present study we expanded the investigation of the causative agent to a characterization at strain level and the identification of its phylogenetic position among the L. infantum genotypes circulating worldwide. This is the first study addressing genetic diversity and population structure of L. infantum in Armenia and in Transcaucasia. Armenia is an extremely interesting region due to its bio-geographic specificities e.g. the high number of different climates in this small mountainous country and the observed high diversity of sand fly species, part of which occurring in very high altitudes. Ecological niche modeling based on registered VL cases and sand fly vectors collected in active VL foci revealed that the risk of further spread of VL is very high due to climate change. Studies of this region should be expanded to enable targeted control measures.}, language = {en} } @article{SukiasyanKeshishyanManukyanetal.2019, author = {Sukiasyan, Anna and Keshishyan, Ara and Manukyan, Dezdemonia and Melik-Andreasyan, Gayane and Atshemyan, Liana and Apresyan, Hripsime and Strelkova, Margarita V. and Frohme, Marcus and Cortes, Sofia and Kuhls, Katrin}, title = {Re-Emerging Foci of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Armenia - First Molecular Diagnosis of Clinical Samples}, series = {Parasitology}, journal = {Parasitology}, issn = {1469-8161}, doi = {10.1017/S0031182019000064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:526-opus4-12018}, pages = {20}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was firstly reported in Armenia in 1913. Following a considerable increase of the number of cases until the mid 1950s, the diseases disappeared after 1969 and re-emerged in 1999. Scientific literature about VL in Armenia is available only in Russian or Armenian. This paper presents a historical overview about leishmaniasis in Armenia based on this literature as well as an epidemiological update since the re-emergence of the disease. In 1999- 2016, 116 indigenous VL cases were recorded mainly in children in 8 of the 11 districts, however VL is underreported because of lack of trained medical personal and diagnostic facilities. The aim of this work was to apply for the first time molecular diagnosis of VL in Armenia. Out of 25 VL suspected patients, 22 were positive by microscopy and PCR. Genotyping using ITS1-PCR-RFLP and sequencing identified the causative agent of VL in Armenia as Leishmania infantum. The present work is an important step towards the inclusion of molecular techniques in the current diagnosis of VL in Armenia and the establishment of local molecular diagnostic facilities.}, language = {en} }