Fauna and Frequency of Sand Flies in Southern Khorasan Province

Background and Sand flies are widespread in Iran and are vectors of leishmaniasis and pappatci fever in most parts of the country including Southern Khorasan Province. Faunistic and ecological studies of these flies are necessary in order to implement proper vector control programs. This research was conducted to determine the sand flies fauna in Southern Khorasan province. Sand fly specimens were collected from seven cities in Southern Khorasan province during May to August 2012 using sticky paper traps. The specimens were identified and their monthly activity and frequency in the province were measured. In this study, a total of 1294 insect specimens was collected of which 171 sand flies were identified. Species belonged to Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia genera including four species: Phlebotomus sergenti s.l., Ph. papatasi, Sergentomyia sintoni and S. dentata. Phlebotomus sergenti s.l. was the dominant species in this study which is also the main vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. The most and the least abundances were observed in Darmian (29.2%) and Boshrooye cities (1%), respectively. According to the results, two vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis were found to be active in studied area. Ph. sergenti s.l. was the dominant species in all study areas with relatively high frequency especially in July. Therefore, the health system of the province should be aware of the potential of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in these areas.