Autochthonous Leishmania tropica in Sri Lanka

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka is considered atypical since endemic cases have been caused exclusively by Leishmania donovani, a primary visceralizing parasitic protozoan species that largely infects spleen and bone marrow of human patients in other parts of Asia and Africa. In this work, we present the first report of co-endemic Leishmania tropica in Sri Lanka and reveal by WGS that they share ancestry with L. tropica strains described in India almost 30 years ago. Therefore, we propose L. donovani should no longer be considered the only CL-causing agent in Sri Lanka.