monthly variation o f leishmania major mon-26 infection rates in phlebotomus papatasi (diptra : psychodidae) from rodent burrows in badrood area of iran

following an epidemiological survey of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniosis (zcl) in some villages of badrood, a rural district north of the city of natanz, central iran, phlebotomus (phlebotomus ) papatasi scopoli were found to be naturally infected with leishmania (leishmania) major zymodeme mon-26. sandflies were collected and dissected biweekly from rodent burrows during sandfly season, april- october 1998. leptomonad infection rates varied between 6.7-22.0% during sandfly season, being greatest in september, coinciding with peak activity of p papatasi, 2-3 months before the highest incidence of zcl human cases in november-december. leptomonad infection rate was 1.1 % in 94 p papatasi indoors.