Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera psychodidae) of Cyprus.: II -: Isolation and typing of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum Nicolle, 1908 (zymodeme MON 1) from Phlebotomus (larroussius) tobbi Adler and Theodor, 1930

During two surveys conducted in Cyprus (August 1998 and September 1999), 2,910 phlebotomine sandflies females were caught by CDC miniature light traps then dissected under binocular and examined on microscope. Eleven species were identified: Phlebotomus papatasi, P. sergenti, P. jacusieli, P. alexandri, P. tobbi, P. galilaeus, P. mascittii, P. economidesi, Sergeniomyia fallax, S. minuta et S. azizi. The Larroussius species (P. galilaeus and P. lobbi) are the most abundant (more than 60 % of our captures). Promastigotes were isolated from one specimen identified as P. lobbi. A Leishmania stock was successfully cultured and identified by isoenzyme characterisation as belonging to L. infantum zymodeme MON 1. The same zymodeme was isolated and identified from four dogs tao. Because of the absence of usual vectors of I. infantum in the eastern part of the Mediterranean basin IF. neglectus and P. syriacus), and according to its distribution in Cyprus, P. lobbi constitute certainly a good local vector. It seems to be not very anthropophilic, that could explain the very few human cases.