Co-infection of Leishmania infantum and Brucella spp in Iran

Abstract

In 2004, a 27-year-old man from Sirjan in Kerman Province (southeastern Iran) presented to Nemazee hospital with high-grade fever, chills, wet cough, abdominal pain, and mild splenomegaly. Anti-Brucella antibodies and anti-leishmanial antibodies were both shown to be present. Leishmania dipstick (rK39) was positive, but no amastigote was observed in the bone marrow. Leishmania kDNA corresponding to L. infantum was detected by nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on liver biopsy and whole blood. These results confirmed co-infection of Leishmania infantum and Brucella spp. © Springer-Verlag London Limited 2008.