A number of sand fly species are present in Europe and in recent years, their range has increased. They are vectors of human and canine leishmaniasis, and sand fly fevers caused by phleboviruses.
This report of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was produced by the VectorNet project (European network for sharing data on the geographic distribution of arthropod vectors transmitting human and animal disease agents).
Vector sampling protocols outlining the recommended methods for collecting vectors have been issued today by ECDC and EFSA, to support entomologists and public-health professionals in Europe. It is a first attempt to summarise best-practices in terms of methods and strategies for sampling mosquitoes, sandflies, biting midges and ticks.
Leishmaniasis is a tropical/sub-tropical disease, spread by the bite of infected sandflies. There are several different forms of leishmaniasis in people: cutaneous leishmaniasis causes skin sores, visceral leishmaniasis causes systemic disease. Without treatment, most patients with the visceral disease will die and those with diffuse cutaneous and mucocutaneous disease can suffer long infections associated with secondary life-threatening infections.
Leishmaniasis is a tropical/sub-tropical disease, spread by the bite of infected sandflies. There are different forms of leishmaniasis in people: cutaneous leishmaniasis causes skin sores, visceral leishmaniasis causes systemic disease.
Main topics of the meeting will be : Collecting sand flies – Repositories for sand flies and sand fly colonies – Taxonomy and genetics – Ecology – Physiology and immunology – Sand fly Saliva and immune response to sand fly bites – Leishmania-sand fly interaction – Other pathogens in sand flies – Sand fly control as a part of integrated leishmaniasis control programs