Distribution of Phlebotomus species in the Nile Delta, Egypt

The importance of sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus being in the fact that some species are the vectors of leishmaniasis and other pathogenic organisms such as virus of sandfly fever. In Egypt, cutaneous leishmaniasis and sandfly fever are known and recently visceral leishmaniasis has been identified in Alexandria. Consequently, there is a need to study the geographical distribution of Phlebotomus species and to present an illustrative key for their identification. In the present study, four species of Phlebotomus were reported; P. papatasi, P. sergenti, P. langeroni and P. bergeroti. While P. papatasi is a known vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis, P. langeroni is an incriminated vector for infantile visceral leishmaniasis, P. papatasi is the predominant species in the Nile Delta, but P. langeroni is found in West Alexandria and as a very rare species at the Libyan Egyptian borders. The whole results were discussed.