The prevalence, host preference, and rate of Leishmania spp. infection of sand fly species are important parameters for incrimination of parasite vectors. We applied polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods to detect Leishmania spp. parasites and blood meals within individual sand flies in the most important visceral leishmaniasis (VL) focus in...

Phlebotomine sand flies are often captured with human bait and/or light traps, either with or without an animal bait. More recently, synthetic attractants have been used as bait in traps to improve the capture of phlebotomine sand flies as well as other insects of medical and veterinary importance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the kairomone 1-octen-3-ol (octenol) ...

With respect to the epidemiology of leishmaniasis, it is crucial to take into account the ecoclimatic and environmental characteristics that influence the distribution patterns of the vector sand fly species. It is also important to consider the possible impact of on-going climate changes on the emergence of this disease. In order to map the potential distribution of Phlebotomus perniciosus, th...

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease affecting millions of people worldwide. The disease is caused by different species of Leishmania, and it is manifested by three major clinical forms namely cutaneous, muco-cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. This review is aimed to address briefly the parasite, the vector and the reservoir aspects in transmission of leishmaniasis in different regions of...

Leishmania parasites are transmitted to their vertebrate hosts by infected phlebotomine sand fly bites. Sand fly saliva is known to enhance Leishmania infection, while immunity to the saliva protects against infection as determined by coinoculation of parasites with vector salivary gland homogenates (SGHs) or by infected sand fly bites (Kamhawi, S., Y. Belkaid, G. Modi, E. Rowton, and D. Sacks....

Leishmania vaccines that protect against needle challenge fail against the potency of a Leishmania-infected sand fly transmission. Here, we demonstrate that intradermal immunization of mice with 500 ng of the sand fly salivary recombinant protein LJM11 (rLJM11) from Lutzomyia longipalpis, in the absence of adjuvant, induces long-lasting immunity that results in ulcer-free protection against Lei...

During September 2010, 133 female sand flies were caught inside houses of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in the focus for this disease in southeastern Tunisia and subsequently dissected. One specimen was positive for Leishmania protozoa. This sand fly species was identified as Phlebotomus sergenti, and the parasite was identified as L. tropica. This is the first report of P. sergenti inv...

Salivary gland lysates of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis markedly enhance the course of infection with Leishmania major in mice. Here we examine various parameters of this phenomenon. The exacerbative effect of L. longipalpis salivary gland lysates occurred in five different mouse strains; however, the character of the effect varied from one strain to another. Consistent exacerbation of inf...

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a rare disease in Thailand. Only one previous case has been reported in which transmission was likely autochthonous. We conducted an investigation of a case of VL, which included serological and symptom surveys of people who lived near the case in Nan Province and Bangkok, serological surveys of domestic animals in his home village and sand fly surveys in his home...

Leishmaniases are a group of vector-borne diseases with different clinical manifestations caused by parasites transmitted by sand fly vectors. In Mexico, the sand fly Lutzomyia olmeca olmeca is the only vector proven to transmit the parasite Leishmania mexicana to humans, which causes leishmaniasis. Other vector species with potential medical importance have been obtained, but their geographic ...