Abstract:

To understand the changes of sand flies in endemic regions of visceral leishmaniasis in Xinjiang, sand flies were captured using arrest tubes on outer walls of human houses, light traps in field, and viscous oil-papers, in the sampling site of Gholtoghrak desert agricultural area in Jiashi County from June 15 to June 30, 2016. The density and species of sand flies were determined and identified, respectively. The infection status with leishmania promastigote in the digestive tract of female sand flies under natural conditions was examined. Totally 497 sand flies were collected, all identified to be Phlebotomus wui with a female-to-male ratio of 3.04 ∶ 1 (374 versus 123). A total of 182 sand flies were captured using arrest tubes, with a density of 30.3/work hour; 259 sand flies were captured using light traps in field, with a density of 43.2/work hour; and 56 using viscous oil-papers in courtyards, with a density of 5.6/piece. One hundred and nine female sand flies were dissected, and two showed infection with leishmania promastigote in the digestive tract, resulting in an infection rate of 1.83%. These findings suggest a high density of sand flies and the presence of Leishmania infection in Gholtoghrak area.

Key words: Jiashi County in Xinjiang, Phlebotomus wui, Vector, Leishmania, Surveillance