Qom University of Medical Sciences Journal

Background and Objectives:Leishmaniasis is a vector borne disease, which is transmitted by sandflies. This study aims to determine the epidemiological status of leishmaniasisand ecological characteristics of sandflies in Maraveh-Tapeh County, Golestan province.

Methods: In this study, incidence rate of the disease was calculated and its distribution in different rural district was determined using GIS method. Then, 3 villages were randomly selected, and sampling of sandflies was performed in July, August, and September. Ten sticky traps were installed once a month in living places of human, livestock, and birds, rodents’ burrows, and unroofed places. All captured sandflies were collected and their species were identified.

Results:A total of 159 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were reported in 2011-2012, of which the highest incidence rate was in Maraveh-Tapeh district. Furthermore, atotal of 1983 sandflies were collected and 13 species of sandflies were identified. Ph. papatasi (31.6%) was the predominant species in the district, and also predominant species in rodent burrows, and human and livestock indoor living places. S. sintoni was the predominant species in bird indoor living places and unroofed places. There was a significant association between different species of sandflies and various capture areas (p<0.001). In this study, the sandflies capture rate per trap was 7.93, of which the highest rate was in rodent burrows and lowest rate was in human indoor living places, which were 17.94 and 2.3 sandflies per trap, respectively.

Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that rodent burrows are suitable places for rest and reproduction of sandflies.