title: Phenology of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) relative to the seasonal prevalence of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in central Tunisia.
abstract: The population density of Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli (Diptera: Psychodidae), vector of Leishmania major Yakimoff & Schokhor (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), the etiologic agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL), was assessed May-November 2005 in central Tunisia by using sticky traps. The densities of P. papatasi were found to peak in early spring and again in the autumn. The lowest densities were observed in August. Prevalence of ZCL in the governorate of Sidi Bouzid peaks in December, 3 to 3.5 mo after the fall sand fly population peak, suggesting a close temporal association with the abundance of P. papatasi.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Systèmes Vectoriels, 13 Place Pasteur, BP 74, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chelbi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Derbali
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Al-Ahmadi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zaafouri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Fahem
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhioua
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D011156:Population Density; D015995:Prevalence; D012621:Seasons; D012756:Sheep; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology*