Malika Ajaoud - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Malika Ajaoud
Phlebotomus sergenti a common vector of Leishmania tropica and Toscana virus in Morocco
Journal of Vector Borne Diseases, Apr 1, 2014
An entomological study using CDC miniature light-traps was performed in El Hanchane locality, whe... more An entomological study using CDC miniature light-traps was performed in El Hanchane locality, where cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) was emerging during the summer of 2011. The aim of this study is to identify the vectors of Leishmania and of phleboviruses. In the field, a total of 643 sandfly specimens were collected, identified by morphological keys and categorized by sex and species. A total of nine distinct species were morphologically identified where seven belonged to the Phlebotomus genus and two species to the Sergentomyia genus. Phlebotomus sergenti was the most abundant species (76%). Phleboviruses were detected by nested RT-PCR using 30 pooled sandflies while P. sergenti females were tested individually for infections of Leishmania species. By using ITS1-PCR-RFLP approach, Leishmania tropica DNA was detected in 10 females, caught in this emerging focus, and provide additional evidence in favour of the role of P. sergenti as vector of L. tropica in Morocco. Real-time PCR screening for phlebovirus RNA, using an assay targeting the polymerase gene, showed positive result in one pool of male P. sergenti. In this study, P. sergenti were infected by L. tropica and Toscana virus. To our knowledge, actually this is the first time that Toscana virus has been detected in P. sergenti.
Parasites & Vectors, 2015
To investigate the transmission of phleboviruses, a total of 7,057 sandflies were collected in we... more To investigate the transmission of phleboviruses, a total of 7,057 sandflies were collected in well-known foci of cutaneous leishmaniasis and were identified to species level according to morphological characters. Collected sandflies were tested by Nested PCR for the presence of Phleboviruses and subsequently by viral isolation on Vero cells. The corresponding products were sequenced. Toscana virus was isolated, for the first time, from 5 pools of sandflies. Hence, Toscana virus should be considered a potential risk that threatens public health and clinicians should be aware of the role of Toscana virus in cases of meningitis and encephalitis in Morocco.
Phlebotomus sergenti a common vector of Leishmania tropica and Toscana virus in Morocco
Journal of vector borne diseases, 2014
An entomological study using CDC miniature light-traps was performed in El Hanchane locality, whe... more An entomological study using CDC miniature light-traps was performed in El Hanchane locality, where cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) was emerging during the summer of 2011. The aim of this study is to identify the vectors of Leishmania and of phleboviruses. In the field, a total of 643 sandfly specimens were collected, identified by morphological keys and categorized by sex and species. A total of nine distinct species were morphologically identified where seven belonged to the Phlebotomus genus and two species to the Sergentomyia genus. Phlebotomus sergenti was the most abundant species (76%). Phleboviruses were detected by nested RT-PCR using 30 pooled sandflies while P. sergenti females were tested individually for infections of Leishmania species. By using ITS1-PCR-RFLP approach, Leishmania tropica DNA was detected in 10 females, caught in this emerging focus, and provide additional evidence in favour of the role of P. sergenti as vector of L. tropica in Morocco. Real-time PCR scree...
Parasites & vectors, 2014
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by various species of the flagellate prot... more Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by various species of the flagellate protozoan Leishmania. During the past 20 years, cutaneous leishmaniasis has emerged as a major public health threat in Morocco. The main objective of this study was to study the occurrence of Leishmania infection in vectors and to identify sand fly blood meal sources in an endemic locality of cutaneous leishmaniasis within Sefrou province, where the vectors of leishmaniasis were still unknown. 2650 sand flies were collected using CDC miniature light traps and identified morphologically. The identified sand flies were tested for Leishmania infection by nested PCR. The source of blood meal of 10 freshly engorged females: 6 Phlebotomus longicuspis and 4 Phlebotomus sergenti, was determined using the Cyt b sequence. The collected sand flies consisted of 10 species, seven of which belonged to the genus Phlebotomus and three to the genus Sergentomyia. The most abundant species was P. longicuspis, ...
Parasites & Vectors, 2013
Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by flagellate protozoa of the... more Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by flagellate protozoa of the genus Leishmania. In Morocco, anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania tropica is considered as a public health problem, but its epidemiology has not been fully elucidated. The main objective of this study was to detect Leishmania infection in the vector, Phlebotomus sergenti and in human skin samples, in the El Hanchane locality, an emerging focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in central Morocco.
Acta Tropica, 2013
The region of Foum Jamâa (province of Azilal) has become endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL)... more The region of Foum Jamâa (province of Azilal) has become endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) since 2006. The objective of this study was to investigate molecular identification of the etiological agent of CL in this region; we also carried out an entomological survey of Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in this focus to study the sand fly fauna, species composition, and the monthly prevalence of sand flies during 1 year. In the period between 2009 and 2010, skin scrapings spotted on glass slides were collected from 119 patients, aged from 9 months to 70 years old, who came from 43 localities distributed in 3 sectors in Foum Jamâa (FJ). The ITS1 PCR-RFLP was used to identify the Leishmania parasite responsible for the recent cases of CL in FJ. Our results revealed that the disease is caused by L. tropica. No significant association was observed between gender and the rate of CL in presenting patients, while the highest rate of positive lesions was found in the age group of 9 years old or under (86.67%). In this study, we found also that L. tropica infection mostly caused single lesions (67.90%) that were located in the face (96.30%). Morphological identification was performed on a total of 1152 sand flies (23% females and 77% males) collected by sticky paper traps. 57% of the total collected flies were identified as Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) sergenti (Parrot).
Phlebotomus sergenti a common vector of Leishmania tropica and Toscana virus in Morocco
Journal of Vector Borne Diseases, Apr 1, 2014
An entomological study using CDC miniature light-traps was performed in El Hanchane locality, whe... more An entomological study using CDC miniature light-traps was performed in El Hanchane locality, where cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) was emerging during the summer of 2011. The aim of this study is to identify the vectors of Leishmania and of phleboviruses. In the field, a total of 643 sandfly specimens were collected, identified by morphological keys and categorized by sex and species. A total of nine distinct species were morphologically identified where seven belonged to the Phlebotomus genus and two species to the Sergentomyia genus. Phlebotomus sergenti was the most abundant species (76%). Phleboviruses were detected by nested RT-PCR using 30 pooled sandflies while P. sergenti females were tested individually for infections of Leishmania species. By using ITS1-PCR-RFLP approach, Leishmania tropica DNA was detected in 10 females, caught in this emerging focus, and provide additional evidence in favour of the role of P. sergenti as vector of L. tropica in Morocco. Real-time PCR screening for phlebovirus RNA, using an assay targeting the polymerase gene, showed positive result in one pool of male P. sergenti. In this study, P. sergenti were infected by L. tropica and Toscana virus. To our knowledge, actually this is the first time that Toscana virus has been detected in P. sergenti.
Parasites & Vectors, 2015
To investigate the transmission of phleboviruses, a total of 7,057 sandflies were collected in we... more To investigate the transmission of phleboviruses, a total of 7,057 sandflies were collected in well-known foci of cutaneous leishmaniasis and were identified to species level according to morphological characters. Collected sandflies were tested by Nested PCR for the presence of Phleboviruses and subsequently by viral isolation on Vero cells. The corresponding products were sequenced. Toscana virus was isolated, for the first time, from 5 pools of sandflies. Hence, Toscana virus should be considered a potential risk that threatens public health and clinicians should be aware of the role of Toscana virus in cases of meningitis and encephalitis in Morocco.
Phlebotomus sergenti a common vector of Leishmania tropica and Toscana virus in Morocco
Journal of vector borne diseases, 2014
An entomological study using CDC miniature light-traps was performed in El Hanchane locality, whe... more An entomological study using CDC miniature light-traps was performed in El Hanchane locality, where cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) was emerging during the summer of 2011. The aim of this study is to identify the vectors of Leishmania and of phleboviruses. In the field, a total of 643 sandfly specimens were collected, identified by morphological keys and categorized by sex and species. A total of nine distinct species were morphologically identified where seven belonged to the Phlebotomus genus and two species to the Sergentomyia genus. Phlebotomus sergenti was the most abundant species (76%). Phleboviruses were detected by nested RT-PCR using 30 pooled sandflies while P. sergenti females were tested individually for infections of Leishmania species. By using ITS1-PCR-RFLP approach, Leishmania tropica DNA was detected in 10 females, caught in this emerging focus, and provide additional evidence in favour of the role of P. sergenti as vector of L. tropica in Morocco. Real-time PCR scree...
Parasites & vectors, 2014
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by various species of the flagellate prot... more Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by various species of the flagellate protozoan Leishmania. During the past 20 years, cutaneous leishmaniasis has emerged as a major public health threat in Morocco. The main objective of this study was to study the occurrence of Leishmania infection in vectors and to identify sand fly blood meal sources in an endemic locality of cutaneous leishmaniasis within Sefrou province, where the vectors of leishmaniasis were still unknown. 2650 sand flies were collected using CDC miniature light traps and identified morphologically. The identified sand flies were tested for Leishmania infection by nested PCR. The source of blood meal of 10 freshly engorged females: 6 Phlebotomus longicuspis and 4 Phlebotomus sergenti, was determined using the Cyt b sequence. The collected sand flies consisted of 10 species, seven of which belonged to the genus Phlebotomus and three to the genus Sergentomyia. The most abundant species was P. longicuspis, ...
Parasites & Vectors, 2013
Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by flagellate protozoa of the... more Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by flagellate protozoa of the genus Leishmania. In Morocco, anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania tropica is considered as a public health problem, but its epidemiology has not been fully elucidated. The main objective of this study was to detect Leishmania infection in the vector, Phlebotomus sergenti and in human skin samples, in the El Hanchane locality, an emerging focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in central Morocco.
Acta Tropica, 2013
The region of Foum Jamâa (province of Azilal) has become endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL)... more The region of Foum Jamâa (province of Azilal) has become endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) since 2006. The objective of this study was to investigate molecular identification of the etiological agent of CL in this region; we also carried out an entomological survey of Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in this focus to study the sand fly fauna, species composition, and the monthly prevalence of sand flies during 1 year. In the period between 2009 and 2010, skin scrapings spotted on glass slides were collected from 119 patients, aged from 9 months to 70 years old, who came from 43 localities distributed in 3 sectors in Foum Jamâa (FJ). The ITS1 PCR-RFLP was used to identify the Leishmania parasite responsible for the recent cases of CL in FJ. Our results revealed that the disease is caused by L. tropica. No significant association was observed between gender and the rate of CL in presenting patients, while the highest rate of positive lesions was found in the age group of 9 years old or under (86.67%). In this study, we found also that L. tropica infection mostly caused single lesions (67.90%) that were located in the face (96.30%). Morphological identification was performed on a total of 1152 sand flies (23% females and 77% males) collected by sticky paper traps. 57% of the total collected flies were identified as Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) sergenti (Parrot).