A Study on Vector and Reservoir Host of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Turkamansahra, Golestan Province, North-East of Iran

Altogether 4361 sand-flies were collected from three areas of Turkaman-sahra including, Dashlybron, Fadavi and Inchebron during 1994-1995. Sand-flies were collected using field methods, i.e, sticky traps, funnel traps and aspirator.More than 58.2% of sandflies specimens were caught from rodent burrows and 41.8% frow indoors (rooms, stables, and...), including Phlebotomus Papatasi (37.6%), Ph. Caucasicus (34.5 %) and Sergentomyia Sintoni (27.9 %). 17 Ph. Sergenti and 5 Ph. Mongolensis were also collected with low density. Seasonal activities of Sand-flies were started in May and ended in October with one peak in August. In order to determine natural parasite infection or reservoir hosts, 106 wild rodents were caught by Iivetraps 88.7% of the rodents were Rhombomys Opimus and 11.3% were Meriones Libycus.This study showed that 63.8% of Rhombomys Opimus were naturally infected with Amastigotes.