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Phlebotomine sand flies and Leishmania species in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Algeria.

ABSTRACT: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a disease caused by various Leishmania spp., which are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. Algeria is one of the most affected countries, with thousands of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases registered every year. From March to November of 2016 and 2017, sand flies were collected in 12 municipalities in Setif province, North-Eastern Algeria. Sand flies were identified and females were tested by PCR for detecting Leishmania DNA. Additionally, cutaneous leishmaniasis cases notified during the study period were analysed. Out of 1804 sand flies collected, 1737 were identified as belonging to seven species, with Phlebotomus perniciosus (76.2%), Ph. papatasi (16.7%) and Ph. sergenti (5.0%) being the most common species, representing together 97.9% of the collected specimens. The remaining specimens were identified as Sergentomyia minuta, Se. fallax, Ph. longicuspis and Ph. perfiliewi. The number of sand flies collected monthly was positively correlated with temperature. Out of 804 females tested, nine Ph. perniciosus (1.1%) scored positive for Leishmania infantum (n = 5), L. major (n = 3) and L. tropica (n = 1), respectively. During the study period, 34 cutaneous leishmaniasis cases were notified in Setif, of which 58.8% were patients residing in two urban and peri-urban municipalities and 41.2% in rural areas. The finding of Ph. perniciosus as the most abundant species in Setif suggests that this sand fly may be adapted to different biotopes in the North-East region of Algeria. The detection of different Leishmania spp. in Ph. perniciosus suggests a complex epidemiological picture of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Setif, with the involvement of different etiological agents and possibly with different reservoir hosts and vectors.

SUBMITTER: Gherbi R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7048314 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Phlebotomine sand flies and Leishmania species in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Algeria.

Gherbi Roumaissa R Bounechada Mustapha M Latrofa Maria Stefania MS Annoscia Giada G Tarallo Viviana Domenica VD Dantas-Torres Filipe F Otranto Domenico D

PLoS neglected tropical diseases 20200218 2

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a disease caused by various Leishmania spp., which are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. Algeria is one of the most affected countries, with thousands of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases registered every year. From March to November of 2016 and 2017, sand flies were collected in 12 municipalities in Setif province, North-Eastern Algeria. Sand flies were identified and females were tested by PCR for detecting Leishmania DNA. Additionally, cutaneous leishmaniasis case ...[more]

PMID: 32069279

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Project description:BackgroundThe recent geographical expansion of phlebotomine vectors of Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean subregion has been attributed to ongoing climate changes. At these latitudes, the activity of sand flies is typically seasonal; because seasonal phenomena are also sensitive to general variations in climate, current phenological data sets can provide a baseline for continuing investigations on sand fly population dynamics that may impact on future scenarios of leishmaniasis transmission. With this aim, in 2011-2013 a consortium of partners from eight Mediterranean countries carried out entomological investigations in sites where L. infantum transmission was recently reported.Methods/principal findingsA common protocol for sand fly collection included monthly captures by CDC light traps, complemented by sticky traps in most of the sites. Collections were replicated for more than one season in order to reduce the effects of local weather events. In each site, the trapping effort was left unchanged throughout the survey to legitimate inter-seasonal comparisons. Data from 99,000 collected specimens were analyzed, resulting in the description of seasonal dynamics of 56,000 sand flies belonging to L. infantum vector species throughout a wide geographical area, namely P. perniciosus (Portugal, Spain and Italy), P. ariasi (France), P. neglectus (Greece), P. tobbi (Cyprus and Turkey), P. balcanicus and P. kandelakii (Georgia). Time of sand fly appearance/disappearance in collections differed between sites, and seasonal densities showed variations in each site. Significant correlations were found between latitude/mean annual temperature of sites and i) the first month of sand fly appearance, that ranged from early April to the first half of June; ii) the type of density trend, varying from a single peak in July/August to multiple peaks increasing in magnitude from May through September. A 3-modal trend, recorded for P. tobbi in Cyprus, represents a novel finding for a L. infantum vector. Adults ended the activity starting from mid September through November, without significant correlation with latitude/mean annual temperature of sites. The period of potential exposure to L.infantum in the Mediterranean subregion, as inferred by adult densities calculated from 3 years, 37 sites and 6 competent vector species, was associated to a regular bell-shaped density curve having a wide peak center encompassing the July-September period, and falling between early May to late October for more than 99% of values. Apparently no risk for leishmaniasis transmission took place from December through March in the years considered. We found a common pattern of nocturnal females activity, whose density peaked between 11 pm and 2 am.ConclusionsDespite annual variations, multiple collections performed over consecutive years provided homogeneous patterns of the potential behavior of leishmaniasis vectors in selected sites, which we propose may represent sentinel areas for future monitoring. In the investigated years, higher potential risk for L. infantum transmission in the Mediterranean was identified in the June-October period (97% relative vector density), however such risk was not equally distributed throughout the region, since density waves of adults occurred earlier and were more frequent in southern territories.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Sand flies are responsible for the transmission of several disease pathogens including Leishmania. Sand flies breed in habitats with high levels of humidity and organic matter. They are nocturnal in nature and peak activity ranges from dusk to dawn. The scientific evidence on breeding ecology and diurnal resting sites of sand fly fauna are important aspects of planning and implementing vector control activities. However, such fundamental information is grossly inadequate in Sri Lanka to support the control efforts in the country. Therefore, the present study addresses some of the important aspects of sand fly breeding ecology and diurnal resting sites. METHODS:Potential resting sites were thoroughly observed, and sand flies were collected using a battery-operated aspirator and sticky papers when appropriate from three selected Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas (Polpithigama, Maho and Galgamuwa) in Kurunegala district, Sri Lanka. Soil samples were collected from each potential breeding site. Half of each soil sample was incubated for 45 days. The other half was screened for immature stages. Adult sand flies collected from field and emerged adults at the insectary under confined incubation were identified using morphological characteristics. RESULTS:Pepper bushes and termite mounds were the most notable resting sites while, betel bushes, cattle huts, piles of coconut shells, latrines, manna bushes and tree holes were also positive for sand fly adults. Only two species, Phlebotomus argentipes and Sergentomyia punjabensis, were reported. Soil samples were collected from a total of 432 sites and 7 of them were positive for immature stages. Predominant breeding habitats identified during the present study were mud flats and moist soils of rice paddies, the soil below decaying hay, drying irrigational tank bottom moist soil, and the floors of cattle huts. CONCLUSION:This study demonstrates that the potential adult resting sites and breeding habitats are abundant in the Polpithigama, Maho and Galgamuwa MOH areas. Therefore, vector control activities targeting both adult and immature stages of sand flies are recommended.

Dataset Information

Phlebotomine sand flies and Leishmania species in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Algeria.

Publications

Phlebotomine sand flies and Leishmania species in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Algeria.

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