MOLECULAR DETECTION OF PNEUMOCYSTIS JIROVECI IN WILD RATS IN SOUTHWEST OF IRAN.

Pneumocystis pneumonia is a disease caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci or and Pneumocystis carinii. It is more commonly observed in patients with immune deficiency that causes inflammation and obstruction of the lungs. This study focused on the molecular detection of P. jiroveci in wild rats living in southwest of Iran. In this study, 100 lung tissue samples were collected from wild rats in Ahwaz. After staining through Giemsa and microscopic examination, DNA extraction was performed. Then, the Nested-PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) was conducted for detection. Finally, the results were analyzed by chi-square test. Of the 100 lung tissues, 32 were infected with P. jiroveci. Moreover, 27 were from the Rattus norvegicus species and 5 were Rattus rattus infected with pneumocystis, where the prevalence of the two species were identical (P-value = .597). In terms of gender, 17 were male and 15 were female, and the infection rates were identical in both (P-value = .798). The Nested-PCR is a reliable method for the detection of P. jiroveci. This was the first report from Iran's southwest where great populations of rats (32%) were affected by P. jiroveci. Due to the transmission of different diseases from rats to humans, these diseases in rats can pose a dangerous threat to human health, particularly people with immune deficiency, AIDS and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]