Leishmaniasis vectors in the environment of treated leishmaniasis cases in Spain

Abstract

Transmission of leishmaniasis in endemic areas is characterized by microfocality related to the presence of the vector. Most entomological studies in southwestern Europe have focused on sylvatic areas and town outskirts, very few have sampled town or urban centres, and no survey has investigated inside households. The aim of this study was to determine the sand fly species diversity and vector density in the surroundings of human leishmaniasis cases compared with environments in which there was no association. Sand flies were captured in 26 households associated with recently treated leishmaniasis patients, 15 neighbouring houses without associated cases, and in others environments. Overall 7495 sand flies belonging to six species were captured. The highest sand fly density was found in farmhouses where there is a great availability of blood sources and breeding sites. In the environment of human leishmaniasis cases, Sergentomyia minuta was the most prevalent species followed by Phlebotomus perniciosus. Nevertheless, lower Leishmania infantum infection rates and lower intensity of infection were detected in S. minuta sand flies than in P. perniciosus. The density of P. perniciosus in households with recently treated leishmaniasis patients varies between 0 and 108 sand flies per light trap/night, with the maximum values corresponding to farmhouses. This species appears to be adapted to both indoors and outdoors domestic biotopes, including urban households.

Morphology does not allow differentiating the species of the Phlebotomus perniciosus complex: Molecular characterization and investigation of their natural infection by Leishmania infantum in Morocco

“…We have detected L. infantum in females of cluster 1.2 (both, P. perniciosus and females with P. longicuspis morphology but P. perniciosus genetics), cluster 2 ( P. longicuspis s.s) and cluster 3 (unnamed species). None of the infected females found had a parasite load greater than 10 parasites/sand fly, while 25% typical P. perniciosus females that were infected in endemic areas had very high infection rates with more than 10,000 parasites/sand fly (Díaz‐Sáez et al, 2022) highlighting typical P. perniciosus as the main vector of L. infantum .…”

Prevalence and Factors Related to Leishmania infantum Infection in Healthy Horses (Equus caballus) from Eastern Spain

“…The presence of sand fly vectors is considered the main risk for leishmaniasis. In Spain, recent studies have reported six species of sand flies, and the most prevalent are Sergentomyia minuta and Phlebotomus perniciosus [ 48 ]. The authors analyzed the presence of L. infantum in sand flies recovered and concluded that the P. perniciousus are more related to Leishmania transmission than S. minuta.…”