Investigation of Fauna, Seasonal Activity of Sand Flies, Determination of Leishmaniasis Vectors, and Human Infection Through Molecular Methods in Bastak, Hormozgan Province, 2021.

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the most common vector-borne diseases worldwide and is prevalent in many parts of Iran. Phlebotomine sand flies act as vectors, transmitting the parasite through blood feeding on infected hosts. This study aimed to identify the fauna and seasonal activity of sand flies and to detect Leishmania DNA in vectors and human samples in rural areas of Bastak County, southern Iran, in 2021.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from March 2020 to February 2021. Sand flies were collected indoors and outdoors every 15 days using sticky traps. After morphological identification and activity assessment, DNA was extracted from a subset of sand flies and from human lesion samples. PCR was applied to detect the presence of Leishmania parasites.

RESULTS

A total of 2,747 sand flies were collected and identified. Activity showed two peaks, one in early March and another in early October. Eleven species were recorded, including four Phlebotomus and seven Sergentomyia species. Phlebotomus alexandri was the most abundant (49.1%). No Leishmania DNA was detected in captured sand flies, whereas human samples revealed PCR bands (650 bp) consistent with L. major.

CONCLUSION

The presence of P. alexandri and P. papatasi as dominant species highlights their potential epidemiological importance in Bastak County. These findings provide baseline information on sand fly fauna and activity, emphasizing the need for continued entomological surveillance and molecular monitoring to better understand leishmaniasis transmission in the region.