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...

visceral leishmanisasis is endemic and zoonotic in several foci in ardabil province, north west of iran. the main objective of this study was to determine the natural promastigote infection of sand-flies in active seasons, during 1991-1995. sand-flies were caught by sticky traps, aspirator and cdc light traps from indoors and outdoors. altogether 2659 sandflies were dissected and identified. th...

Although Panstrongylus lutzi (Neiva and Pinto) is currently the fifth most frequent species of Triatominae captured in artificial structures in Brazil, its silvatic habitat remains unknown. A survey of its natural ecotopes was performed in an area of Bahia State. P. lutzi nymphal instars and adults were detected in burrows of Dasypodidae. Silvatic habitat of four other endemic triatomine specie...

The fitness effects of symbionts on their hosts can be context-dependent, with usually benign symbionts causing detrimental effects when their hosts are stressed, or typically parasitic symbionts providing protection towards their hosts (e.g. against pathogen infection). Here, we studied the novel association between the invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus and its fungal ectosymbiont Laboulben...

BACKGROUND Algeria is among the most affected Mediterranean countries by leishmaniasis due to its large geographic extent and climatic diversity. The current study aimed to determine the ecological status (composition and diversity) of phlebotomine sandfly populations in the region of Oum El Bouaghi (Northeast Algeria). METHODS An entomological survey was conducted during the period May-Octob...

Human indigenous cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani complex is endemic in Sri Lanka. We performed an entomological survey to determine the distribution of probable vector species. Sand flies were collected in districts in the dry zone, in the wet zone highlands, and in the wet zone coastal belt of Sri Lanka using CDC light traps, sticky traps and cattle-baited net traps durin...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a major vector-borne disease in Iran. A focus of VL is present in Shahreza county, Isfahan province, central Iran. The main objective of this study was to determine the probable vectors in this area. METHODS Sand flies were collected biweekly using sticky paper traps, CDC light-traps, and aspirators from outdoors as well as indoors. All f...