Current knowledge of sand fly fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) of northwestern Yemen and how it relates to leishmaniasis transmission.
This report presents the results of the first entomological survey of the sand fly fauna in northwestern Yemen. Sand flies were collected using sticky paper traps and CDC light traps from Hajjah governorate, a cutaneous leishmaniasis focus due to Leishmania tropica. Six Phlebotomus species: P. alexandri, P. arabicus. P. bergeroti, P. orientalis, P. papatasi, P. sergenti and ten Sergentomyia species: S. africana, S. antennata, S. christophersi, S. dolichopa, S. dreyfussi, S. fallax, S. multidens, S. taizi, S. tiberiadis, S. yusafi were identified. P. alexandri was the most predominant Phlebotomus species and P. papatasi was a scarce species. S. fallax was the principal Sergentomyia species and S. dolichopa was the least species encountered. The diversity of the sand fly fauna within and among three altitudinal ranges using Simpson index and Jaccard's diversity coefficient respectively were measured. High species diversity was found in all altitude ranges. There seemed to be more association between sand fly fauna in higher altitudes with fauna from moderate altitudes. Sand fly seasonal activity showed a mono-modal trend in the lowland and a confluent bimodal trend in the highlands. Leishmania DNA could not be detected from 150 Phlebotomus females using PCR-RFLP. A possible zoonotic cutaneous transmission cycle due to Leishmania tropica in northwestern Yemen would involve P. arabicus as the sand fly vector and the rock hyrax as the reservoir host. The vector competence for P. alexandri as a vector of visceral leishmaniasis in Hajjah governorate is discussed.
Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt.
Bahira M
BM
El Sawaf
Ain Shams University, Institute of Environmental Studies and Research, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt. Electronic address: hakassem@aucegypt.edu.
Hala A
HA
Kassem
Biology Department, Hajjah University, Yemen.
Nabil M
NM
Mogalli
Research and Training Center on Vectors of Diseases, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt.
Shabaan S
SS
El Hossary
Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt.
Nadia F
NF
Ramadan
D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification*; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000469:parasitology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D012621:Seasons; D015006:Yemen
Altitude ranges; Biodiversity indices; Leishmaniasis risk; Sand flies; Seasonal abundance; Yemen