Background: Microbes particularly bacteria presenting in the gut of haematophagous insects may have an important role in the epidemiology of human infectious disease.Methods: The microbial flora of gut and surrounding environmental of a laboratory strain of PHLEBOTOMUS PAPATASI, the main vector of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL) in the old world, was investigated. Biochemical reactions and 16s rDNA sequencing of the isolated bacteria against 24 sugars and amino acids were used for bacteria species identification. Common mycological media used for fungi identification as well.Results: Most isolates belonged to the Enterobacteriaceae, a large, heterogeneous group of gram-negative rods whose natural habitat is the intestinal tract of humans and animals. Enterobacteriaceae groups included Edwardsiella, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Leminorella, Pantoea, Proteus, Providencia, Rahnella, Serratia, Shigella, Tatum ella, and Yersinia and non Enterobacteriaceae groups included Bacillus, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas. The most prevalent isolates were Proteus mirabilis and P. vulgaris. These saprophytic and swarming motile bacteria were isolated from all immature, pupae, and mature fed or unfed male or female sand flies as well as from larval and adult food sources. Five fungi species were also isolated from sand flies, their food sources and colonization materials where Candida sp. was common in all mentioned sources.Conclusion: Midgut micro biota are increasingly seen as an important factor for modulating vector competence in insect vectors so their possible effects of the mirobiota on the biology of P. PAPATASI and their roles in the sand fly- Leis hmania interaction are discussed.

Background: Sand fly saliva helps parasite establishment and induce immune responses in vertebrate hosts. In the current study, we investigated the modulation of PHLEBOTOMUS PAPATASI salivary gland antigen expression by seasonal and biological factors.Methods: Sand flies were grouped according to physiological stages such as unfed, fed, semi-gravid, gravid, parous, nulliparous, infected or non-infected with Leishmania major and based on the season in which they were collected. Salivary gland antigens (SGAs) were analyzed using SDS-PAGE and the antibody response against SGAs in Rhombomys opimus was determined by ELISA and Western blot.Results: The highest protein content was found in the salivary glands of unfed sand flies. The saliva content was higher in parous compared to nulliparous, in summer compared to spring, and in Leishmania-infected compared to non-infected flies. The salivary gland lysate (SGL) electrophoretic pattern variations were observed among sand flies with various physiological stages particularly from 4–9 protein bands of 14–70 kDa. The SGL of unfed and gravid flies had extra protein bands compared to fed and semi-gravid sand flies. There was missing protein bands in SGL of parous compared to nulliparous; and in summer compared to spring collected flies. Rhombomys opimus serum reacted strongly with an antigenic band of around 28 kDa in the SGL of all sand fly groups.Conclusion: Certain biological and environmental characteristics of wild populations of vector sand flies affect the protein content and antigenicity of saliva. This might have an important implication in the design of vector-based vaccines.

Dear Editor-in-Chief Leishmaniasis is a disease transmitted by sand flies. It is caused by an intracellular parasite of leishmaniasis belonging to the family of Trypano-somatidae. More than 98 countries are affected by this disease, 350 million people at risk, and 12 million infected cases (1). “ About 95% of CL cases happen in America Mediterranean, Middle East, and Central Asia and More than 60% of new cases of CL occurred in six countries: Af-ghanistan, Algeria, Brazil, Colombia, Iran and Syria” . (2)...

Susceptibility status of Ph.PAPATASI to DDT 4% has been evaluated in Arsanjan country, the new focus of cutaneous Leishmaniasis, in Fars province in 1999. Sandflies were collected from human habitations. Tests revealed that this species was sensitive to DDT. Results from data analysis showed that LT50 and LT90 can be measured as 30 (fiducially limit; 23, 36) and 55 minutes (fiducially limit: 44, 84), respectively. The mortality rate at the diagnostic dose of DDT with an exposure time of one hour followed by 24 hour recovery period exhibited 97±2% mortality.

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is an increasing and important public health problem in Iran. The use of repellents is recommended as one of the important means of personal protection against vectors of ZCL. This paper reports the repellency effect of the plant Myrtle, Myrtus communis (Myrtaceae), essential oil for protection against 3-7-day-old unfed females of the sandfly, PHLEBOTOMUS PAPATASI Scopoli for the first time in Iran. The tests were carried out under laboratory conditions, using dose-response testing procedure on white rabbits and the results were compared with commonly used repellent, diethyl-3-methylbenzamid (DEET). The modified Wirtz method using K & D apparatus was employed. Effective Dose (EDs) values were estimated from the probit regression line. ED50 was measured as 0.1140 and 0.0006 mg/cm2 for Myrtle essential oil and DEET, respectively. The laboratory tests showed that both Myrtle essential oil and DEET had repellency effects against P.PAPATASI. In addition, the insecticidal action of Myrtle oil was also observed. We concluded that the two repellents could be used as a mean of personal protection against sand flies.    

Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in many parts of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate the fauna and some biologic factors of sand flies and detect CL vector(s) in Kharameh district which is one of the most important foci of the disease in Fars province, southern Iran.Methods: To identify the fauna, a total of 1549 sand flies were collected from April 2014 to March 2015. To determine the monthly activity, sand flies were collected from indoor and outdoor areas of the lowland and the highland regions.Results: Ten species of phlebotomine (four PHLEBOTOMUS spp. And six Sergentomyia spp.) were identified and PHLEBOTOMUS PAPATASI was the dominant species (53.45%). To determine the sand flies naturally infected by Leishmania spp., 188 female sand flies (145 P. PAPATASI, 29 P. sergenti, and 14 P. alexandri) were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Two (13.16%) specimens of P. PAPATASI were found to be positive for Leishmania major.Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first PCR detection of L. major within naturally infected P. PAPATASIs and fly as the main vector in this region of south Iran.