Transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in a previously non-endemic region of Tunisia: Detection ofLeishmaniaDNA inPhlebotomus perniciosus

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been endemic in northern Tunisia and has occurred sporadically in the center of Tunisia. Recently, there have been several cases from areas known to be free of VL. We report in this work all human and canine cases of VL recorded between 2003 and 2011 and an entomological study of phlebotomine fauna in a previously non-endemic region. Sixty-three cases of VL were diagnosed and identified as L. infantum using several different methods. Eight species of 179 sand flies were caught and identified by both morphological and molecular methods. Two genera were present, Phlebotomus and Sergentomya, with an abundance of the subgenus Phlebotomus (Larrousius) spp., a classic vector of VL in Tunisia. Moreover, Leishmania DNA was detected in seven unfed Phlebotomus pernicousus and L. infantum was identified in three of them. This result confirms the establishment of a transmission cycle of VL in the studied region by the coexistence of infected vectors with infected hosts. Journal of Vector Ecology 38 (1): 1-5. 2013.

Presence of sandfly-borne phleboviruses of two antigenic complexes ( Sandfly fever Naples virus and Sandfly fever Sicilian virus ) in two different bio-geographical regions of Tunisia demonstrated by a microneutralisation-based seroprevalence study in dogs

“…In Tunisia, Toscana, Punique and Utique viruses were detected and/or isolated from Phlebotomus pernicious and Phlebotomus longicuspis, which are considered as possible vectors of phleboviruses [2,7]. Both sandfly species are also the main vectors of Leishmania infantum, etiologic agent of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) in Tunisia [8][9][10].…”

Irrigation in the arid regions of Tunisia impacts the abundance and apparent density of sand fly vectors of Leishmania infantum

“…In the current study, P. perniciosus represents 17% of the total collection in the governorate of Sidi Bouzid. More importantly L. infantum was isolated from three field-collected P. perniciosus from a previously non-endemic region of central Tunisia (Chargi et al 2013). The detection of L. infantum in unfed P. perniciosus where cases of HVL were recorded confirms the establishment of the life cycle transmission in the central region of Tunisia (Chargi et al 2013).…”

“…More importantly L. infantum was isolated from three field-collected P. perniciosus from a previously non-endemic region of central Tunisia (Chargi et al 2013). The detection of L. infantum in unfed P. perniciosus where cases of HVL were recorded confirms the establishment of the life cycle transmission in the central region of Tunisia (Chargi et al 2013). However, based on our environmental covariate analysis the density of this species is heavily concentrated in the northern humid, sub-humid and semiarid areas of Tunisia with a lower density occurring in arid areas.…”

“…Similarly, CVL was limited to the Northern Tunisian Ridge (Diwani et al 2008, Bouratbine et al 2005). Since 1985, CVL became endemic in the governorates situated in the center of Tunisia (Keddous 1988), Ben Said et al 1992, Chargui et al 2012). Of a total of 142 cases of HVL reported during 1993, 47 (33%) originated from the arid governorate of Kairouan situated in Central Tunisia (Bouratbine et al 1998).…”

“…In Tunisia, P. perfiliewi is possibly a vector of L. infantum but this role remains to be confirmed (Dancesco et al 1970). Phlebotomus perniciosus is the principal vector of the viscerotropic L. infantum zymodeme MON 1, etiologic agent of HVL and CVL in Tunisia (Ben Ismail 1993, Chargi et al 2013). Moreover, in Italy, P. perniciosus was shown to be naturally infected with L. infantum zymodeme MON 72 (Maroli et al 1994).…”