Specification of blood meals ingested by female sand flies caught in Palestinian foci and identification of their concomitant leishmanial infections

by Kifaya Azmi, Gabriele Schonian, Ziad Abdeen Since leishmaniases are zoonotic vector-borne diseases transmitted through the bites of infected female sand flies, identification of the sources of imbibed blood meals and the detection and identification of leishmanial DNA in them are important in discerning animal reservoirs, clarifying the epi demiology and facilitating control of local leishmaniases. CDC light traps, aspirators and sticky paper traps were used to collect sand flies in four Palestinian foci of both, CL and VL. Phlebotomine species identification was based on morphological keys. Female specimens were screened to detect and identify leishmanial infections, using a kDNA-PCR and ITS1-PCR, and engorged female specimens were analyzed to identify the origin of their blood meals, using an RDB blood meal assay based on the amplification of the cytochrome b gene (cytb) of vertebrate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Twenty sand fly species, 11 of the genusPhlebotomus and nine of the genusSergentomyia, were identified. The most abundant species wasPh.papatasi (33.7%), followed byPh.sergenti (21%). Among the 691 female sand fly specimens, 18.5% (128/691) were positive for leishmanial DNA, using the kDNA-PCR and 6.4% (44/691) were positive using the ITS1-PCR. DNA from parasites of the genusLeishmania was identified in only 1.5% of the infected sand flies. That ofLeishmania tropica parasites was detected in six female specimens ofPh.sergenti and that ofL.major parasites in two f...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research