A Faunestic Study of Rodents in Yazd with Emphasis on Rural Reservoirs of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Leishmanioses are important parasitic diseases presenting in three clinical forms visceral, cutaneous and muco-cutaneous. Some rodents are the reservoir hosts of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. The disease prevails in many rural areas of Yazd Province. This was the first comprehensive study on the fauna of rodents in Yazd and was conducted to determine the fauna, distribution and abundance of rodents during 2004-2005.

The Rodents were collected by 30 Sherman live traps weekly from different parts of Yazd Province. The rodents were identified morphologically in the laboratory. To determine the Leishmanial infection of rodents, two smears of each ear lobe were prepared, fixed and stained by Geimsa and observed under light microscope.

A total of 106 rodents were collected and subsequently 6 species were identified as follows: Meriones libycus(52.8%), Rhombomys opimus(20.8%), Mus musculus(12.3%), Tatera indica(7.5%), Nesokia indica(5.7%) and Rattus rattus(0.9%). Of these 6 species, 8.1% of Meriones libycus and 5.9% of Rhombomys opimus were infected with Leishmania parasites.

In the present study, leishmanial infection of Rhombomys opimus and Meriones libycus was determined. These species are the main reservoir hosts of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran.Control operations are recommended in the hypoendemic and mesoendemic foci of the disease.