Ethics approval and consent to participate
All participants included in the study received comprehensive information concerning the study. Participants were included after signing an informed consent form, agreeing verbally in the case of illiterate participants or in case of children, their parents or legal guardians did so. The study was approved by the community leaders, Gedaref state Ministry of Health and the Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
Consent to publish
Not Applicable.
Availability of Data and Materials
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Competing interests
No competing interests to disclose.
Funding
Not Applicable.
Authors' contributions
NSM and AHE provided conceptual framework for the study, guidance for interpretation of the data and performed data analysis. NSM, HAO, AOM, MMAH and AHE performed the field and laboratory work. MSM, EES, AMS, MMAH, RAO, MSA and AA performed the statistical analysis. NSM, EES, HAO, RAO, MSA and AHE participated in the manuscript preparation, revision and coordination. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the local communities in the study villages for their interest and cooperation in the study. Special thanks to Leishmaniasis Control Program, Gedaref Ministry of Health, Sudan for their logistic and technical support. We also acknowledge Professor El Harith from the Biomedical Research Laboratory of the Ahfad University for Women, Sudan for providing DAT antigen and L. donovani DNA for molecular analysis, and to Dr. Salah-Eldin El-zaki at the Department of Epidemiology, Tropical Medicine Research Institute, National Center of Research, for his support with the filed collection materials.
Author’s Information
Nouh S. Mohamed
Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Sinner, Sudan
Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nile University, Khartoum, Sudan
Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. Email: [email protected]
Hussam A. Osman
Biomedical Research Laboratory, Ahfad University for Women, Omdurman, Sudan.
Email: [email protected]
Mohamed S. Muneer
Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan. Email: [email protected]
Abdallah M. Samy
Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt. Email: [email protected]
Ayman Ahmed
Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Sudan. Email: [email protected]
Anwar O. Mohammed
Malaria and Leishmania Control Program and Vector Control, Gedaref Ministry of Health, Gedaref, Sudan. Email: [email protected]
Emmanuel Edwar Siddig
University of Khartoum, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Khartoum, Sudan
Mycetoma Research Center, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
Nile College, School of Medicine. Email: [email protected]
Muzamil M. Abdel Hamid
Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Sudan. Email: [email protected]
Mohamed Siralkhatim Ali
Department of Molecular Biology, National University Research Institute, National University, Khartoum, Sudan.
Faculty of Medicine, Neelain University, Khartoum, Sudan.
Email: [email protected]
Rihab A. Omer
Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. Email: [email protected]
Arwa H. Elaagip
Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Khartoum, Sudan. Email: [email protected]