A possible role for Phlebotomus (Anaphlebotomus) rodhaini (Parrot, 1930) in transmission of Leishmania donovani

Three female P. rodhaini were found infected with Leishmania parasites in an astonishingly small number of flies captured in three separate field trips. Two of these isolates were typed by molecular methods as L. donovani, while the third isolate was inoculated into a hamster that was subsequently lost. Although P. rodhaini is generally considered a rare species, results obtained in this study indicate that it can readily be captured by rodent-baited traps. Results of human landing collection showed that it rarely bites humans in the area.It is concluded that P. rodhaini is a possible vector of L. donovani between animal reservoir hosts but is not responsible for infecting humans. It is suggested that the role of P. rodhaini in transmission of L. donovani in other zoonotic foci of visceral leishmaniasis in Africa should be re-examined.The epidemiology of vector-borne diseases, such as leishmaniasis, is governed by the presence of specific vector species that are capable of supporting the development of a pathogen and transmitting it to a susceptible host. Therefore, proper knowledge of natural vectors is a fundamental pre-requisite for understanding the transmission dynamics of these diseases and planning adequate control programs. Although the main transmission cycles have been described for most vector-borne diseases, there is a possibility of existence of "hidden" vectors that are missed due to employment of an inadequate range of trapping methods.Leishmaniasis is a group of diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania (order: Kinetoplastida; family: Trypanosomatidae) that are transmitted between humans and other mammalian hosts by phlebotomine sand flies (Order: Diptera; family: Psychodidae). Depending on the species of Leishmania parasites and other immunological and epidemiological factors, Leishmania infection can lead to cutaneous (CL), mucocutaneous (MCL) or visceral leishmaniasis (VL, kala azar).Visceral leishmaniasis is a deadly form of