Widespread transmission in diverse ecotypes challenges visceral leishmaniasis control in East Africa.

ABSTRACT: East Africa is emerging as the global hot spot of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), yet efforts to eliminate it are hindered by substantial knowledge gaps in its ecoepidemiology. Here, we report on the high prevalence of Leishmania infection in Phlebotomus orientalis in Marsabit county, Kenya (3.9%), and Gedaref state, Sudan (3.6%), where this species comprised 99.8% (n = 1185) and 100% (n = 1350) of captured Phlebotomus females, respectively. In Aba Roba, Ethiopia, Ph. martini accounted for 99% of 184 collected Phlebotomus females and had a lower infection rate of 1.5%. Ph. orientalis and Ph. martini exhibited different habitat and feeding preferences. While Ph. orientalis was abundant in diverse peridomestic and sylvatic microhabitats, <

SUBMITTER: Iniguez E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12622091 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature