Investigations on mediterranean kala azar. V. - Distribution of sandflies of the major group in relation to Mediterranean kala azar. Summary and conclusions. References

Abstract

The work of the Indian Kala Azar Commission, the Royal Society Commission in China and the observations recorded above indicate that the visceral Leishmanias are particularly adapted to sandflies of the Major group, i. e., P.argentipes in India, P. chinensis in china, P. pernicious and P. major in Sicily. Parrot, Donatien and Lestocquard (1930) found that P. pernicious which fed on a dog with visceral Leishmaniasis and skin lesions became infected. The infecting was confined to the stomach of the sandflies 3 days after the infecting feed. The above sandflies have all been infected by feeding on experimental animals and the first three have also been infected on man. Natural infections with Leishmania have been recorded in P. argentipes and P. pernicious . P. Perniciosus var tobbi and P. major var. syriacus have been infected by feeding on cultures of L. infantum . It is therefore of interest to consider the known distribution of sandflies of the Major group in relation to visceral Leishmaniasis in the Mediterranean, for the two species not included in this group which feed on man, i. e., P. papatasii and P. Sergenti have been exluded experimentally as possible carriers.