Comparative genomics of Leishmania isolates from Brazil confirms the presence of L. major in the Americas

Leishmania major is an important agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis,having as vector sandflies belonging to the Phlebotomus genus. Although this species has been described as restricted to the Old World, parasites similar to L. major have been isolated from South American patients that have never traveled abroad. These parasites were named L. major-like, and several studies have been carried out to characterize them biochemically, molecularly, and biologically. However, the phylogenetic origin of these isolates is still unknown. In the present study we characterized three L. major-like isolates from Brazil.