Population structure of leishmania major in southeastern morocco.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an infectious disease caused by various Leishmania species. It is among the most neglected tropical diseases and has been considered a major health threat over the past decades in the country. Its zoonotic form caused by Leishmania (L) major is the most prevalent in Morocco. This study investigated the population structure of L. major in southeastern Morocco. Samples (n = 67) were collected from patients with CL in five different endemic areas located in three provinces (Ouarzazate, Tinghir, and Zagora). These samples were then sequenced using two nuclear markers: internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and a fragment of the virulence factor GP63. Next, the sequences were edited and analyzed. Molecular diversity indices showed a high population genetic diversity but an overall low haplotype diversity. Our results suggest small population differentiation, indicating a low geographic structure. Tajima's D and Fu's Fs tests both suggested recent population expansion based on the significant deviations from neutrality in both tests for all populations except Tinghir, which may be due to a small sample size. Based on our findings, the region is experiencing rapid population expansion caused by recent CL outbreaks, and one of them has been recently studied. In addition, analysis of molecular variance and F

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Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.