A Study of the Sandfly Population in Endemic Foci of Infantile Kala-azar in Italy

Abstract

The sandflies of the two largest Italian foci of visceral leishmaniasis, Naples and Catania, were studied.The following species were found : P. papatasii, P. perniciosus, P. sergenti, P. vesuvianus, sp. n., P. parroti var. italicus var. n.P. papatasii and P. perniciosus are the commonest sandflies in the areas examined.Out of 1,547 ♀♀ dissected none showed a natural infection with Leishmania.P. papatasii was infected with Italian strains of L. infantum by feeding on cultures through membranes. The infection rate was low, but in contrast to Indian strains of L. donovani in the same sandfly, the infection once established did not die out.