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Background  Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis caused by  Leishmania infantum  which is transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) is endemic in the Mediterranean basin. The main objectives of this study were to (i) detect  Leishmania  DNA and (ii) identify blood meal sources in wild caught female sand flies in the zoonotic leishmaniasis region of Algarve, Portugal/Southwestern Europe.    Methods  Phlebotomine sand flies were collected using CDC miniature light traps and sticky papers. Sand flies were identified morphologically and tested for  Leishmania  sp. by PCR using ITS-1 as the target sequence. The source of blood meal of the engorged females was determined using the  cyt-b  sequence.    Results  Out of the 4,971 (2,584 males and 2,387 females) collected sand flies,  Leishmania  DNA was detected by PCR in three females (0.13%), specifically in two specimens identified on the basis of morphological features as  Sergentomyia minuta  and one as  Phlebotomus perniciosus . Haematic preferences, as defined by the analysis of  cyt-b  DNA amplified from the blood-meals detected in the engorged female specimens, showed that  P. perniciosus  fed on a wide range of domestic animals while human and lizard DNA was detected in engorged  S. minuta .    Conclusions  The anthropophilic behavior of  S. minuta  together with the detection of  Leishmania  DNA highlights the need to determine the role played by this species in the transmission of  Leishmania  parasites to humans. In addition, on-going surveillance on  Leishmania  vectors is crucial as the increased migration and travelling flow elevate the risk of introduction and spread of infections by  Leishmania  species which are non-endemic.

parasites and vectors

Molecular detection of Leishmania DNA and identification of blood meals in wild caught phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from southern Portugal