title: First report of naturally infected Sergentomyia minuta with Leishmania major in Tunisia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many sand fly species are implicated in the transmission cycle of Leishmania parasites around the world. Incriminating new sand flies species, as vectors of Leishmania is crucial to understanding the parasite-vector transmission cycle in different areas in Tunisia and surrounding countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-four unfed females belonging to the genera Sergentomyia and Phlebotomus were collected in South Tunisia between June and November 2014, using sticky papers. PCR-RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) analysis of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) was used for Leishmania parasites detection and identification. Leishmania (L.) major (Yakimoff & Shokkor, 1914) was identified within two Sergentomyia (S.) minuta (Rondani, 1843) and one Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli, 1786).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of L. major identified from S. minuta in Tunisia. This novel finding enhances the understanding of the transmission cycle of L. major parasites of cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic area in South Tunisia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, Tunis-Belvedere, 1002, Tunisia. kaoutherj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kaouther
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaouadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, Tunis-Belvedere, 1002, Tunisia. ghawarwissemmed@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Wissem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ghawar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, Tunis-Belvedere, 1002, Tunisia. sadok-salem@live.fr.
authors.forename: Sadok
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, National School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Manouba, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia. gharbim2000@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharbi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, Tunis-Belvedere, 1002, Tunisia. bettaiebjihene@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Jihene
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bettaieb
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, Tunis-Belvedere, 1002, Tunisia. rihabyazidi@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Rihab
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yazidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, Tunis-Belvedere, 1002, Tunisia. myriamharrabi@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Mariem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harrabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science & Technology, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine. ohamarsheh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hamarsheh
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology, Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, Tunis-Belvedere, 1002, Tunisia. afif.bensalah@pasteur.rns.tn.
authors.forename: Afif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Salah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer