Leishmania muris

[R.L.Jacobson]

>        I have a student who has asked me for some information on
>Leishmania muris.  I am not a parasitologist but am trying to help the
>student in spite of this.  I have some reference texts but none mentions
>this organism.  Would you please set me on a productive track or maybe
>there is not such species. 


Dear Dr. Moody,

There is no such species as Leishmania muris. In addition to those mentioned 
by Mr. Noyes, there is in the old world Leishmania arabica in Psammomys obesus.
Leishmania major has been found in other muridae, L. infantum , L.donovani 
and L. tropica very rarely in rats.  There is an ancient, somewhat dubious 
record of Leishmania myoxi in doormice, but even Wenyon doesn't mention 
specifically 
L. muris.  Perhaps your student was thinking of murine leishmaniasis?

jake jacobson
jacobsr at yam-suff.cc.huji.ac.il (Dr. R.L. Jacobson)
Department of Parasitology 
Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School
POBox 12272, Jerusalem 91120
Israel
FAX 972-2-757425