Feeding behavior and activity of Phlebotomus pedifer and potential reservoir hosts of Leishmania aethiopica in southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

BackgroundCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major public health concern in Ethiopia. However, knowledge about the complex zoonotic transmission cycle is limited, hampering implementation of control strategies. We explored the feeding behavior and activity of the vector (Phlebotomus pedifer) and studied the role of livestock in CL transmission in southwestern Ethiopia. MethodsBlood meal origins of engorged sand flies were determined by sequencing host DNA. A host choice experiment was performed to assess the feeding preference of P. pedifer when humans and hyraxes are equally accessible. Ear and nose biopsies from livestock were screened for the presence of Leishmania parasites. Sand flies were captured indoor and outdoor with human landing catches and CDC light traps to determine at which time and where P. pedifer is mostly active. Principal findingsA total of 180 P. pedifer sand flies were found to bite hosts of 12 genera. Humans were the predominant blood meal source indoors (65.9%, p < 0.001), while no significant differences were determined outdoors and in caves. In caves, hyraxes were represented in blood meals equally as humans (45.5% and 42.4%, respectively), but the host choice experiment revealed that sand flies have a significant preference for feeding on hyraxes (p = 0.009). Only a single goat nose biopsy from 412 animal samples was found with Leishmania RNA. We found that P. pedifer is predominantly endophagic (p = 0.003), but occurs both indoors PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

High-resolution habitat suitability model for Phlebotomus pedifer, the vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in southwestern Ethiopia

“…Ochollo is a well-known CL focus at about 2100 m in southwestern Ethiopia and is considered a model village for research investigating the transmission dynamics of CL [6,9,15]. The area has a rough topography and is characterized by steep slopes, many rocks and basalt cliffs with caves, providing the ideal habitat for P. pedifer and the animal reservoir of the infection, hyraxes [16].…”

“…The area has a rough topography and is characterized by steep slopes, many rocks and basalt cliffs with caves, providing the ideal habitat for P. pedifer and the animal reservoir of the infection, hyraxes [16]. According to ndings on the transmission cycle in Ochollo, suggestions have been made for vector control and disease prevention in the area [6,9,15].…”

“…Effective and e cient implementation of integrated vector control programmes and resource allocation requires a comprehensive understanding of the spatial distribution of P. pedifer. Besides from Ochollo and an outbreak in Silte woreda, neither P. pedifer nor CL has been reported in the surrounding areas, even though the topography and ecology appear similar in some areas [6,9,11,15,16]. However, a recent study indicated many of these areas to be at high-risk for CL based on environmental parameters (rainfall, altitude and slope), yet no (entomological) surveys have been conducted here [17].…”

High-Resolution Habitat Suitability Model for Phlebotomus Pedifer, the Vector of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Southwestern Ethiopia

“…Ochollo is a well-known CL focus at about 2,100 m in southwestern Ethiopia and is considered a model village for research investigating the transmission dynamics of CL [6,7,13]. The area has a rough topography and is characterized by steep slopes, many rocks and basalt cliffs with caves, providing the ideal habitat for P. pedifer and the animal reservoir of the infection, hyraxes [14].…”

“…The area has a rough topography and is characterized by steep slopes, many rocks and basalt cliffs with caves, providing the ideal habitat for P. pedifer and the animal reservoir of the infection, hyraxes [14]. According to ndings on the transmission cycle in Ochollo, suggestions have been made for vector control and disease prevention in the area [6,7,13].…”