Potential Resting and Breeding Sites of Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and Their Habitat Characteristics in Leishmaniasis Foci of Dir Districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Despite their medical importance, natural breeding sites of sand flies have been poorly explored. Detecting such sites is imperative in vector control strategies. This study aimed to identify potential breeding and resting microhabitats of sand flies and household risk factors associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission in Dir districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Survey of indoor and outdoor habitats in four tehsils (subdistricts) of upper and lower Dir districts was carried out using sticky traps, flit method, and aspirator. To assess risk factors associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), questionnaires were administered to household heads. Mud houses and plants belonging to Cucurbitaceae family sheltered highest number of sand flies. Excessive number of flies were collected from indoor sites (common rooms used for both people and animals) compared to outdoor habitats (cattle dungs). Phlebotomus salangensis Artemiev, 1978 and Phlebotomus sergenti were the most widely distributed species, while Sergentomyia bailyi peaked in caves with high organic content in soil. Roof material and ownership of fans were associated with significant risk of CL. Findings of this study present a list of potential breeding sites for sand flies and CL risk factors that can be targeted and implemented in control programs for CL. Further studies are required to elucidate the breeding behavior and preferences of these medically important vectors.

Effect of trapping method on species identification of phlebotomine sandflies by MALDI‐TOF MS protein profiling

“…Although they facilitate a partial catch of live specimens, one of the limitations of CDC light traps is their presumably selective attraction of different species and sexes (Alexander, ; Alten et al ., ). Therefore, sticky traps have continued to be used in recent studies that aim to investigate sandfly fauna composition (Sawalha et al ., ) and resting and breeding sites (Khan et al ., ), or to detect the presence of Leishmania in captured females (Karakus et al ., ).…”

“…Although they facilitate a partial catch of live specimens, one of the limitations of CDC light traps is their presumably selective attraction of different species and sexes (Alexander, 2000;Alten et al, 2015). Therefore, sticky traps have continued to be used in recent studies that aim to investigate sandfly fauna composition (Sawalha et al, 2017) and resting and breeding sites (Khan et al, 2017), or to detect the presence of Leishmania in captured females (Karakus et al, 2017). The technique of MALDI-TOF MS protein profiling represents an efficient approach towards species identification as this method has important benefits, including simple sample preparation, and extremely fast data acquisition and evaluation, and requires only inexpensive consumables.…”

Diurnal adult resting sites and breeding habitats of phlebotomine sand flies in cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic areas of Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka

“…Sand flies are small crepuscular insects with peak activities lasting from dusk to dawn [7]. The stand flies may be a potential target of insect predators and subject to warmth at their resting places such as cattle huts, chicken sheds, vegetation, tree holes, and firewood stalks during the daytime [8][9][10]. People involved in outdoor activities around sand fly resting places during the daytime may increase their chance of exposing themselves to a bite from an infective sand fly.…”

“…Adult female sand flies lay eggs in the soil which provides a breeding environment for immature stages [11]. Certain Phlebotomus species such as P. salengensis and P. sergenti in subtropical areas in Asia prefer indoor places inhabited with both human and domestic animals for oviposition [9]. Caves are also a preferred habitat for some species including, Sergentomyia bailyi, P. major and P. salengensis [9].…”

“…Certain Phlebotomus species such as P. salengensis and P. sergenti in subtropical areas in Asia prefer indoor places inhabited with both human and domestic animals for oviposition [9]. Caves are also a preferred habitat for some species including, Sergentomyia bailyi, P. major and P. salengensis [9]. In tropical forest areas such as Brazil, sand fly breeding mostly occurs in microhabitats associated with trees.…”