title: Zooprophylaxis: impact of breeding rabbits around houses on reducing the indoor abundance of Phlebotomus papatasi.
abstract: Zooprophylaxis is the use of animals to deviate vectors from humans. The indoor abundance of Phlebotomus papatasi in houses with rabbit holes in the peridomestic areas are significantly lower than the indoor abundance in houses without rabbit holes in their peridomestic areas. Introduction of rabbits in artificial underground holes in peridomestic areas reduced significantly the indoor abundance of P. papatasi. Cleaning rabbit holes in peridomestic area by removing all rabbit feces induced a significant increase in the abundance of P. papatasi inside bedrooms. The ecologic niche made around houses in endemic areas by creating active rabbit holes is a major source of attractiveness of P. papatasi, and therefore it may deviate the vector from humans to rabbits. Although rabbit holes are breeding sites for P. papatasi, rabbits are not competent reservoirs for Leishmania major. Our overall findings strongly suggest that zooprophylaxis could be effective in reducing the indoor abundance of P. papatasi and subsequently may be used to control the transmission L. major in rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ifhem
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chelbi
authors.forename: Belhassen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaabi
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Derbali
authors.forename: Sami Ben Hadj
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Koussay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dellagi
authors.forename: Elyes
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhioua
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D018320:Leishmania major; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D014416:Tunisia