Incrimination of Phiebotomus papatasi as vector of Leishmania major in the southern Jordan Valley

The status of sandflies as vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the southern Jordan Valley was investigated during 1992. Sandflies were collected from domestic habitats and from burrows of Psammomys obesus. Of 686 Phlebotomus papatasi females collected from burrows, fourteen harboured promastigotes in their guts. On the other hand, none of 1446 P.papatasi females collected from domestic habitats were found infected. The highest infection rate (5.5%) was recorded in November at the end of the sandfly season. Six leishmanial stocks isolated from P.papatasi females were typed by cellulose acetate electrophoresis using the six enzymes G6PDH, 6PGDH, PGI, PGM, FK and ME. Five of the leishmanial stocks were identical to a Leishmania major reference strain (MHOM/SU/73/5-ASKH). The sixth isolate was a 6PGDH variant of L.major. These findings present the first direct evidence of the role of P.papatasi as a vector of L.major in Jordan.