Phlebotomine sandflies and associated pathogens in Algeria: update and comprehensive overview

Being the only established vectors of the protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, sand flies have become very important in all countries where leishmaniasis exists. It is caused by a variety of species, each one having specific mammalian reservoir hosts and vectors. Leishmania and sand fly classification has always been a controversial matter, and the increasing number of sand fly species described world complicates the task. Until recently, sand flies distributed in the Old World were known as vectors for few Phleboviruses including two known species (Sandfly fever Naples virus, and alehebad virus), and tentative species such as sand fly fever Sicilian virus and Corfou virus. These infections are emerging in the Mediterranean region and will likely spread in forthcoming decades, posing a complex threat to public health. Here, we reviewed the current literature on phlebotomine sand flies fauna and epidemiology of sand fly‑borne infections in Algeria.