Two successive years studies on Phlebotomus papatasi in North Sinai Governorate, Egypt

No doubt, zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is increasing in North Sinai Governorate. The causative agent, L. major was identified as well as two animal reservoir hosts, Gerbillus pyramidum and Meriones crassus. This paper was intended to study the seasonal abundance and the sex ratio of the suspected insect, Phlebotomus papatasi as well as to search for natural infected in wild caught females. The C.D.C. miniature light traps were used for adult collections, dissection was used for demonstration of the promastigotes and biochemical typing was used for identification of isolated strain. The results showed that (a) the seasonal activities started in April and ended by the end of November, with a well marked bimodal distribution in one year, (b) the sex ratio (male to female) 1:2.9 (c) 0.14% of 4208 females were naturally infected with promastigotes and typing proved to be Leishmania major, zymodeme LON 70.