Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 1 1 2007 06 15 38 42 EN Y Rassi Dept. of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health and Institute of Health Research, Medical Sciences/Tehran University, Tehran, Iran. K Azizi Dept. of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health and Institute of Health Research, Medical Sciences/Tehran University, Tehran, Iran. MH Motazedian Dept. of Medical Parasitology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. E Javadian Dept. of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health and Institute of Health Research, Medical Sciences/Tehran University, Tehran, Iran. S Rafizadeh Center of Disease Control (CDC), Genetic Office, Tehran, Iran. M Fakhar Dept. of Medical Parasitology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. GR Hatam Dept. of Medical Parasitology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 2015 10 03 Visceral Leishmaniasis (Kala-azar) is a serious health problem in some northern and south western parts of Iran. The incidence of kala-azar caused by Leishmania infantum has recently increased in Nourabad-Mamassani district of Fars Province, in the south of the country. This study was designed to determine the role of asymptomatic dogs as host reservoir of L. infantum in this new formed focus and detection of prevalence of infection near them. A total of 20 as¬ymptomatic stray and sheep dogs were randomly sampled. The Buffy coat layer of their peripheral blood was used for DNA extraction and PCR. A species specific seminested PCR was used for DNA amplification using LINR4, LIN17 and LIN19 primers. These primers amplified variable area of the minicircle kDNA of Leishmania parasites. Of the 20 sampled dogs checked for leishmanial kDNA, six (30%) were found naturally infected. It is concluded that, dogs (Canis familiaris) even if asympto¬matic, is considered as the domestic host reservoir of kala-azar in this endemic focus. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/7 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/7/5