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Multihost/Multivector Community Network: Disentangling Sandfly Species and Host Interactions in Avian Habitats
J Veiga1,2, F Collantes3, L M Hernández-Triana4
1Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
|April 30, 2025
Summary
Sandflies, vectors of diseases like leishmaniasis, feed opportunistically on humans and wildlife near bird nests. This complex feeding behavior complicates disease control efforts in wildlife-rich areas.
Area of Science:
- Medical entomology
- Epidemiology
- Wildlife ecology
Background:
- Understanding vector feeding behavior is crucial for disease epidemiology.
- Studies often overlook wildlife hosts and multiple vector-host interactions, particularly for sandflies.
- Sandflies transmit important pathogens like Leishmania and phleboviruses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the multihost/multivector network of sandflies in a Spanish semiarid region.
- To analyze sandfly feeding behavior in non-peridomestic habitats, specifically near avian nests.
- To understand the role of wildlife in sandfly population dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Sandfly communities were sampled near avian nests over 3 years using CDC and sticky traps.
- Blood-meal sources of engorged sandflies were identified.
- Network analysis was employed to assess host-vector interactions.
Main Results:
- Six sandfly species were detected, with *Phlebotomus perniciosus*, *P. papatasi*, and *Sergentomyia minuta* being most abundant.
- Thirteen blood sources were identified, including humans, European rollers (*Coracias garrulus*), and wild boar (*Sus scrofa*).
- Most sandfly species fed on wild mammals and birds, exhibiting opportunistic and anthropophilic feeding behavior. *Phlebotomus sergenti* exclusively fed on birds.
Conclusions:
- Sandfly populations are sustained by a diverse range of wild hosts, complicating disease transmission control.
- The study reveals a highly connected and unspecialized sandfly feeding network.
- Findings highlight the importance of considering wildlife reservoirs in managing sandfly-borne diseases.
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