title: Implication of vector characteristics of Phlebotomus argentipes in the kala-azar elimination programme in the Indian sub-continent.
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar in the Indian sub-continent (ISC), is a major public health concern in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, where it is caused by Leishmania donovani transmitted by the sand fly Phlebotomus argentipes. Various ecological parameters including air temperature, rainfall, wind speed, relative humidity, soil moisture, pH, and organic carbon are known to influence the oviposition of female sand flies, as well as the survival and development of larvae. However, more detailed knowledge on vector behavior, such as biting times, breeding places, and preferred hosts are needed to design optimal evidence-based vector control interventions.
  
  
  
  In order to facilitate rational decisions regarding VL vector control, a systematic review was conducted to identify the prevailing practice and knowledge gaps in relation to vector bionomics and behavior. Search terms included 'sand fly bionomics', 'habitat', and 'visceral leishmaniasis/kala-azar vector control' using the Boolean operator AND to identify the country of interest, namely: Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Both PubMed and Google search engines were used. Additional unpublished documents in the three countries were also analyzed.
  
  
  
  Information on the life cycle of VL vectors, their breeding behavior, infection rate with L. donovani, feeding behavior, and seasonal variation are useful for designing vector control operations. Unfortunately, none of the studies on the life cycle of P. argentipes was conducted in field settings of the ISC, so the publications from other locations had to be used for determining the duration of life cycle and development from egg to adult. However, information about breeding places, seasonal variation of vector densities, and 47 out of the selected 51 papers are available from the ISC and can be used for intelligent design of control operations.
  
  
  
  Vector control services should undertake routine insecticide resistance monitoring and adapt indoor residual spraying rounds to the seasonality of vector densities. Further research is needed on potential animal reservoirs for L. donovani, on the breeding habitat, and life cycle of sand flies in the ISC.
authors.affiliation: a KalaCORE Programme (Consortium for the Control and Elimination of Visceral Leishmaniasis) , Dhaka , Bangladesh.|b National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM) , Dhaka , Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Rajib
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: c Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS) , Patna , India.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: d International Centre for Diarrhoea Disease Research (icddr,b) , Dhaka , Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.affiliation: e BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences , Dharan , Nepal.
authors.forename: Murari Lal
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: c Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS) , Patna , India.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: f Central University of Tamil Nadu , Thiruvarur , India.
authors.forename: Aditya Prasad
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Dash
authors.affiliation: g Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization , Geneva , Switzerland.|h Centre for Medicine and Society/Anthropology, University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kroeger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001459:Bangladesh; D060740:Disease Eradication / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000187:drug effects; D007305:Insecticide Resistance; D007306:Insecticides; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D009390:Nepal; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000187:drug effects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011634:Public Health; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides
keywords: Kala-azar elimination; Phlebotomus argentipes; Sand fly; Vector characteristics