First report on natural infection of Phlebotomus sergenti with Leishmania promastigotes in the cutaneous leishmaniasis focus in southeastern Tunisia.

Ahmed Tabbabi (1) , Nadia Bousslimi (1) , Adel Rhim (1) , Karim Aoun (1) , Aïda Bouratbine (1)

1 Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institut Pasteur de Tunis

During September 2010, 133 female sand flies were caught inside houses of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in the focus for this disease in southeastern Tunisia and subsequently dissected. One specimen was positive for Leishmania protozoa. This sand fly species was identified as Phlebotomus sergenti, and the parasite was identified as L. tropica. This is the first report of P. sergenti involvement in transmission of L. tropica in Tunisia.

Domains: Microbiology and Parasitology

Ahmed Tabbabi, Nadia Bousslimi, Adel Rhim, Karim Aoun, Aïda Bouratbine. First report on natural infection of Phlebotomus sergenti with Leishmania promastigotes in the cutaneous leishmaniasis focus in southeastern Tunisia.. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2011, 85 (4), pp.646-7. ⟨10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0681⟩. ⟨pasteur-00658314⟩