[Patterns in the distribution of visceral leishmaniasis in Transcaucasia]

The paper considers the regularities of the spreading of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and present state of its foci in the Transcaucasia, where sporadic cases of the disease occur now in some regions of the Georgian and Azerbaijan SSRs, which is associated with the natural foci. The number of Phlebotomus kandelakii, Ph. transcaucasicus, Ph. balcanicus, Ph. brevis--the most probable vectors of the VL causative agents--is still rather high at the foot of the Great Caucasus, in the Ararat valley, in some regions of the Georgian SSR to the south of Tbilisi and some other regions with natural foci of the VL causative agent. The established regularities are reflected on the map, comparing the landscape-determined mosquitoes accumulation sites with VL distribution among human population at the peak of the disease. The public health system should pay special attention to the areas of distribution of mosquitoes throughout the entire natural foci area with respect to visceral leishmaniasis.