Morphological Identification of Leishmaniasis Vectors and Their Species Diversity in Fars Province, Southern Iran

Abstract

<strong>Background: </strong>Sandflies are the vectors of at least eight different diseases, the most important of which is cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). CL is a major public health problem in Iran, with annual cases increasing to more than 20,000 in 2019. Fars Province has the second-highest number of cases with more than 3000 cases in 2019 in Iran. This study aimed to survey the fauna and different species of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Fars Province, southwest Iran.<br /> <strong> </strong><br /> <strong>Methods:</strong> This is a cross-sectional study. Sandflies were collected in urban and rural regions using the sticky-traps method, and then they were cleared and fixed in puris medium and identified using the pictorial key.<br /> <br /> <strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1071 of sandflies were collected. The<strong> </strong>dominant species consisted of 5 species of <em>Phlebotomus</em> (<em>Ph. papatasi </em>55.4%, <em>Ph. alexandri</em> 17.4%, <em>Ph.sergenti </em>5.6%, <em>Ph. caucasicus </em>1.4%, <em>Ph. ansari</em> 0.46% and 6 species of <em>Sergentomyia</em> (S<em>er. sintoni</em> 10.8%, <em>Ser. antennata</em> 5.4%, <em>Ser. tiberiadis</em> 1.4%, <em>Ser. tobbi</em> 1%, <em>Ser. baghdadis</em> 0.5%, and <em>Ser. halepensis</em> 0.09%.<br /> <strong> </strong><br /> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> This investigation showed that <em>Ph. papatasi</em> was the most prevalent species playing a crucial role in the transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Fars Province. Species of <em>Ph. papatasi</em> and <em>Ph. sergenti</em> are the main vectors of CL in Iran. The healthcare system must take steps to control cutaneous leishmaniasis, raise awareness of the disease, and apply effective ways to prevent it.