In a survey carried out during the summer in 2002 and 2003, in the canine and vulpine leishmaniasis focus of Arrabida, 665 phlebotomine sandflies were caught. 13.83% were P. ariasi, 58.65% P. pemiciosus, 0.45% P. sergenti and 27.07% S. minuta. Despite the low abundance, the finding of the three adults P. sergenti (two males in Aldeia Grande and one female in Quinta da Ramada) confirm the coloni...

BACKGROUND Cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major is a serious and increasing problem affecting many rural areas of 17 out of 31 provinces in Iran. Little is known about sand fly fauna and leishmaniases in Eastern Iran and no study has been carried out in Sarbisheh County. The aim of this study was to determine sand flies composition and probable Leishmania infection to find the probab...

The Algarve Region (AR) in southern Portugal, which is an international tourist destination, has been considered an endemic region of zoonotic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum since the 1980s. In the present study, phlebotomine and canine surveys were conducted to identify sandfly blood meal sources and to update the occurrence of Leishmania infection in vectors and dogs. Four sandfl...

Background: Geographical distribution of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) has continuously been extended in recent years in Iran. The Beiza District is one of the newly-emerged endemic foci of ZCL in southern Iran. The main aim of the present study was to detect the vector(s) of ZCL in this area. Methods: To detect the fauna and vectors of ZCL in this district, sand flies were cau...

Background: Leishmaniosis is a prevalent tropical parasitic disease, which is caused by Leishmania protozoa. The infection can be limited in immune-competent individuals; however, in immune-compromised individuals it could proceed to chronic and ulcerative disease. The reservoirs are carnivores, and rodents and its vectors are Phlebotomus and Lutzumia. Methods: The prevalence of different spice...

A study was undertaken to establish the susceptibility of two recently colonized sand fly species, Phlebotomus perniciosus and P. papatasi to some insecticides. A laboratory colony of P. papatasi, unexposed to insecticides for a period of ten years, was used as reference strain. Bioassay tests were carried out according to the WHO standard protocols based on the mortality rates recorded at diff...

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) are important vectors of human pathogens. Moreover, they possess monoxenous parasites, including gregarines of the genus Psychodiella Votypka, Lantova, and Volf, which can negatively affect laboratory-reared colonies, and have been considered as potential candidates in biological control. In this study, effects of the gregarine Psychodiella sergent...

Visceral leishmaniasis is a deadly parasitic disease that is transmitted via the bite of a female sand fly, Phlebotomus argentipes. The highest burden of this disease is in northern India. In 2005, India embarked on an initiative with Nepal, Bangladesh, and the World Health Organization to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis by 2015. With the goal of 1 case in 10,000 people still unmet, it is prud...

A 2-year survey was carried out from May to November 2008 and 2009 to study the sand fly species composition, its seasonal phenology and density in Apulia region (southern, Italy). The study was conducted in a dog shelter located in a new residential urban district where Leishmania infantum is endemic. Sand flies were collected using sticky traps from May to November, at about 7-day intervals. ...