GS participated in the data analysis and critically revised the manuscript. BAS isolated and cultivated a Francisella tularensis strain from European brown hare in Saxony

and critically revised the manuscript. RS isolated and cultivated a Francisella tularensis strain from European brown hare in Bavaria and critically revised the manuscript. KM participated in the data analysis of typing data and critically revised the manuscript. EK typed strains and critically revised the manuscript. MF participated in the data analysis and critically revised the manuscript. HT participated in the design of the study, coordinated the experiments, analysed the data, and finalized the manuscript. All 4EGI-1 in vitro authors read and approved the final manuscript.”
“Background Leishmaniasis, one of the most important

neglected infectious diseases, is endemic in 88 tropical and subtropical countries. In the past, Thailand was thought to be free of leishmaniasis. From 1960–1986, sporadic cases were reported among Thais who had visited the endemic areas [1–3]. Since then, a few autochthonous cases of leishmaniasis caused by L. infantum and L. donovani were reported in 1996, 2005 and 2007; however, the sources of infection were not identified [4–6]. In 2008, based on sequence comparison of two genetic loci, Leishmania siamensis, a novel species causing autochthonous leishmaniasis (VL), was described for the first time in a Thai patient from a southern province of Thailand [7]. The analysis of three protein-coding genes revealed that the taxonomic

position of L. siamensis is closely related to L. enrietti, a Leishmania of guinea Dinaciclib solubility dmso pigs [8]. To date, more than ten autochthonous VL cases caused by L. siamensis were sporadically reported in six southern, one eastern and three northern provinces of Thailand [8, 9]. Due to the continually increasing number of cases, it is speculated that subclinical 4��8C and clinical leishmaniasis in Thailand might exist in high numbers which needs prompt diagnosis. The sequences of various genetic markers have been used to study the parasite diversity and relationships within Leishmania including the sequences of DNA polymerase α [10], RNA polymerase II [10], 7SL RNA [11], ribosomal internal transcribed spacer [12–14], the N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase gene [15], mitochondrial cytochrome b gene [16] and heat shock protein 70 gene [17]. Building a database of sequences of new local isolates of Leishmania in Thailand, together with the published Leishmania sequences from GenBank, could be useful for future comparison Talazoparib price studies. Therefore, this study aimed to genetically characterize L. siamensis isolated from five Thai VL patients, based on four genetic loci, i.e., small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA), internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region, heat shock protein 70 (hsp70), and cytochrome b (cyt b). In addition, we studied the phylogenetic relationships of L.