Cellular and histological changes in the gut of Phlebotomus papatasi during the digestion process

Abstract

Phlebotomine sand flies are of considerable importance for public health. They are the principal vectors of leishmaniasis, a complex worldwide zoonotic, vector-borne disease of human and animals (mainly dogs and rats) with a range of clinical and epidemiological features (Lawyer and Perkins, 2004 and Gramiccia and Gradoni, 2005). In terms of global disease load, leishmaniasis is the third most important vector-borne disease after malaria and lymphatic filariasis. There are 12 million people currently infected and 350 million people at risk worldwide and an estimated 700.000–1 million new cases and 20.000 to 30.000 deaths occur annually annually (WHO, 2017). In Lutzomyia longipalpis, feeding in group not only significantly reduces the amount of saliva used per individual during blood feeding but also drastically decreases the amount of time taken to acquire their blood meal and sharply increases their fecundity (Tripet et al, 2009). Lu. longipalpis fed on chickens or dogs produced significantly more eggs than those fed on human blood b