title: Characterization of breeding sites of Phlebotomus orientalis - the vector of visceral leishmaniasis in northwestern Ethiopia.
abstract: We studied breeding sites of Phlebotomus orientalis (Diptera: Psychodidae) the vector of visceral leishmaniasis in northern Ethiopia. Although numbers were rather small, 165 sand flies were captured emerging from vertisol cracks. The most productive breeding sites were cracked vertisols, dry river banks and close to trees. No sand flies were caught emerging from sandy clay loam soils in peri-domestic habitats but a few were captured emerging from gaps in a stone wall. Abiotic parameters in vertisols close to trees and in open field from which P. orientalis had emerged, were compared. Soil pH was slightly alkaline and salinity was low. Organic matter contents were similar in both sites. Temperatures and RH remained relatively stable near trees from the end of the rainy season through mid dry season, yet fluctuated markedly at the shallower depth in the open field. During the rainy season, cracks in the soil were sealed resulting in significant lowering of the oxygen concentrations near the tree. Gravimetric water content of soil near trees was lower than open field at shallow depth but similar deeper down. We conclude that ambient conditions suitable for sand fly larvae at shallow depths (45cm) are restricted to areas close to trees. However, deeper in vertisols (90cm) suitable conditions are apparently maintained throughout the dry season even in open fallow fields.
authors.affiliation: The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Soil and Water, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Aviad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moncaz
authors.affiliation: The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kirstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Araya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gebresellassie
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Wossenseged
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lemma
authors.affiliation: Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yared
authors.affiliation: Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Teshome
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gebre-Michael
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Asrat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hailu
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Water, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shenker
authors.affiliation: The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. Electronic address: alonw@ekmd.huji.ac.il.
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warburg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D017753:Ecosystem; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008297:Male; D008834:Microclimate; D010691:Phlebotomus; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: Emergence traps; Phlebotomus orientalis; Sand fly breeding sites; Sesame; Sorghum; Vertisol