Seasonal Distribution of Phlebotomus papatasi, Vector of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Purpose The activity of Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli, a vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis, is known to be seasonal, but the information describing these patterns is sparse in time and space. The purpose of his paper is to conduct a meta-analysis to depict the seasonality of P. papatasi at the global scale. Methods The current paper uses data from a collection of 1200 scientific papers, where 300 are about the vector and 36 include monthly data (of 61 sites) of the P. papatasi from 15 countries published from 1994 to 2017. Results The activity peaked mainly in dry periods in all explored sites. A map of seasonal distribution depicted a peak activity in August, followed by September. Geographically (geographic preference), August and September at the latitude 33 degrees showed the highest abundance at a global scale. Concerning the latitude P. papatasi distribution, the high number is localized between 27 degrees and 35 degrees. However, the high number of this species according to the longitude is localized between - 4 degrees and 58 degrees, which shows a high interval of activity. Locally, for the habitat preference, the findings show a preference of this vector to indoor than to outdoor. Conclusions All these results can be helpful in identifying the period and sites of a future potential risk of leishmaniasis. This is the first attempt at the update of the vector activity both at global and local scale.