Abstract
An entomological survey for sand flies was conducted at an area of cutaneous leishmaniasis—El-Nekheil in Northeast Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia. Standardized sampling with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) light traps and sticky traps was employed to determine monthly trends in species composition, density, sex ratio, and reproductive status and Leishmania infection rate of vector sand flies. A total of 621 sand flies were collected from March 2006 to November 2007. Six species representing two genera were identified, three Phlebotomus species: P. papatasi, P. sergenti, and P. bergeroti; and three Sergentomyia species: S. antennata, S. sergenti, and S. shewtzi. Phlebotomus papatasi was the predominant anthropophagic species found and comprised more than 70% of the sand fly population. A population peak (June) was observed for this species. The density of P. papatasi intra-domiciliary was higher than extra-domiciliary stations and inflated by a greater proportion of female flies. Of 189 dissected Phlebotomus females, 43% were blood-fed. No Leishmania parasites were found. The proportion of gravid P. papatasi increased progressively during the 5-month period from May to September and averaged 38%. Proportions of gravid flies may be a valid indicator of the physiological age and epidemiologic importance of the vector sand fly population at this focus.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Gindan Y, Abdul-Aziz O, Kubba R (1984) Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia. Int J Dermatol 23:194–197
Al-Qurashi AR, Ghandour AM, Osman M, Al-Juma M (2000) Dissemination in cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major in different ethnic groups in Saudi Arabia. Int J Dermatol 39:832–836
Al-Tawfiq JA, AbuKhamsin A (2004) Cutaneous leishmaniasis: a 46-year study of the epidemiology and clinical features in Saudi Arabia (1956–2002). Int J Infect Dis 8:244–250
Al-Zahrani MA, Peters W, Evans DA, Ching Chin I, Smith V, Lane RP (1988) Phlebotomus sergenti, a vector of Leishmania tropica in Saudi Arabia. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 82:416
Ashford RW (2001) Phlebotomus fevers. In: Service MW (ed) The encyclopedia of arthropod-transmitted infections. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, pp 397–401
Bakr RF (1995) Survey and ecological study of sandflies in relation to dermal leishmaniasis, in Hail, Northern province, Saudi Arabia. Ain Shams Sci Bull 33:375–389
Barsky S, Storino W, Salgea K, Knapp P (1978) Cutaneous leishmaniasis: surgical management of a case with unusual clinical and histological features. Arch Dermatol 114:1354–1355
Birtles RJ (2001) Carrion’s disease. In: Service MW (ed) Encyclopedia of Arthropod transmitted. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, pp 104–106
Büttiker W, Lewis DJ (1983) Insects of Saudi Arabia: detection of faunal biotypes of medical importance in South-Western Saudi Arabia using landsat images. Fauna Saudi Arabia 3:10–27
Desjeux P (2004) Leishmaniasis: current situation and new perspectives. Comp Immunol. Microbiol Infect Dis 27:305–318
El-Sibae MM, Eesa NM, Morsy TA (1993) Rodents and cutaneous leishmaniasis in Qasim, Saudi Arabia. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 23:667–673
Guernaoui S, Boumezzough A, Pesson B, Pichon G (2005) Entomological investigations in Chichaoua: an emerging epidemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Morocco. J Med Entomol 42:697–701
Hanafi AH, Fryauff DJ, Modi GB, Ibrahim MO, Main AJ (2007) Bionomics of phlebotomine sand flies at a peacekeeping duty site in the north of Sinai, Egypt. Acta Tropica 101(2):106–114
Ibrahim AA, Abdoon AM (2005) Distribution and population dynamics of Phlebotomus sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Asir Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia. J Entomol 2(1):102–108
Ibrahim AA, Abdoon AM, El-Hossary SS (2005) Survey and Ecology of Sergentomyia sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Asir Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia. J Egypt Acad Soc Environ Dev A Entomol 6(1):35–52
Killick-Kendrick R, Leaney AJ, Peters W, Rioux JA, Bray RS (1985) Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Saudi Arabia: the incrimination of Phlebotomus papatasi as the vector in the Al-Hassa oasis. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 79:252–255
Lane RP (1986) The sand flies of Egypt (Diptera: Phlebotominae). Bull Br Mus Nat Hist Entomol 52:1–35
Lane RP, Abdel-Hafez SK, Kamhawi SA (1988) The distribution of Phlebotomine sandflies in the principal ecological zones of Jordan. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 80:843
Lewis DJ (1982) A taxonomic review of the genus Phlebotomus (Diptera: Psychodidae). Bull Br Mus Nat Hist Entomol 45:121–209
Lewis DJ, Büttiker W (1980) Diptera: Fam. Psychodidae, subfam. Phlebotominae. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 2:252–285
Manson P (1898) Tropical diseases. A manual of the diseases of warm climates. Cassell & Co, Melbourne
Morsy TA, Shoura MI (1976) Some aspects of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. J Trop Med Hyg London 79:137–139
Morsy TA, Mangoud AM, Al Seghayer SM (1992) Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and basal cell carcinoma in a patient from Al Baha, Saudi Arabia. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 22:167–170
Mutinga MJ, Odhiambo TR (1986) Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kenya. III. The breeding and resting sites of P. pedifer (Diptera, Phlebotominae) in Mount Elgon focus, Kenya. Insect Sci Appl 7:175–180
Nadim A, Mesghali A, Amini H (1968) Epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Isfahan province of Iran III. The vector. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 62:543–549
Perfil’ev PP (1966) Fauna of the U.S.S.R. Diptera. New Series. New series 93.. Academy of Sciences of USSR Zoological Institute, USSR
Peters W, Al-Zahrani MA (1987) The leishmaniases: a public health problem in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J 8:333–343
Peters W, Elbihari S, Liu C, Le Blancq SM, Evans DA, Killick-Kendrick R, Smith V, Baldwin CI (1985) Leishmania infecting man and wild animals in Saudi Arabia. 1. General survey. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 79:831–839
Quate LW (1964) Leishmaniasis in the Sudan Republic. 19: Phlebotomus sand flies of Paloich Area in the Sudan (Diptera: Psychodidae). J Med Entomol 1:213–368
Sawalha SS, Shtayeh MS, Khanfar HM, Warburg A, Abdeen ZA (2003) Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of the Palestinian West Bank: potential vectors of leishmaniasis. J Med Entomol 40(3):321–328
Tesh RB (1988) The genus Phlebovirus and its vectors. Annu Rev Entomol 33:169–181
Theodor O (1934) Observations on the hibernation of Phlebotomus papatasi. Bull Entomol Res 25:459–472
Theodor O (1936) On the relation of Phlebotomus papatasii to the temperature and humidity of the environment. Bull Entomol Res 27:653–671
Yaghoobi-Ershadi MR, Akhavan AA, Zahraei-Ramazani AR, Jalali-Zand AR, Piazak N (2005) Bionomics of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an endemic focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in central Iran. J Vector Ecol 30:115–118
Young DG, Duncan MA (1994) Guide to the Identification and Geographic Distribution of Lutzomyia Sand Flies in Mexico the West Indies, Central and South America (Diptera; Psychodidae). Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute no. 54. Associated Publishers, Gainesville, Florida
Yuval B (1991) Populations of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Pychodidae) and the risk of Leishmania major transmission in three Jordan valley habits. J Med Entomol 28:492–495
Acknowledgment
We are grateful to staff of laboratories and Vector Born Diseases, Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, KSA for having contributed to the data collection and for taking part in the study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
El-Badry, A., Al-Juhani, A., Ibrahim, EK. et al. Distribution of sand flies in El-Nekheil province, in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah region, western of Saudi Arabia. Parasitol Res 103, 151–156 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-0942-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-0942-3