The endemicity of Leishmania tropica (zymodeme MON-137) in the Eira-Yarqa area of Salt District, Jordan.

The endemicity of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania tropica was ascertained in a focus of the disease around Eira and Yarqa in Salt District, Jordan. This focus is about 10 km to the east of another focus of CL, where L. major is the causative agent. As CL occurs sporadically in the study area, with nine cases diagnosed between 1993 and 1995, it is probably zoonotic. Each case had one or two lesions and most lesions were on the face. Isoenzymatic electrophoresis showed that all the parasites isolated in the Eira-Yarqa focus and identified to zymodeme level belonged to zymodeme MON-137 and therefore differed from all the L. tropica isolates identified in other regions of Jordan. Eight species of Phlebotomus (P. alexandri, P. major, P. sergenti, P. papatasi, P. perfiliewi, P. jacusieli, P. canaaniticus and P. arabicus), two members of the Sergentomyia dentata group and S. tiberiadis and S. taizi were collected in the focus, using castor-oil traps. The epidemiological significance of the sandflies collected is discussed.