PCR Detection and Species Identification of Leishmania in Microscopy-Negative Smears from Suspected Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Iran

BackgroundDirect microscopy remains a practical first-line test for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), but it can miss infections when parasite numbers are low or lesions are chronic. We evaluated whether PCR could detect and identify Leishmania in Giemsa-stained smears that had already been reported as