Morphological Identification of Leishmaniasis Vectors and Their Species Diversity in Fars Province, Southern Iran

Background: Sandflies are the vectors of at least eight different diseases, the most important of which is cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). CL is a major public health problem in Iran, with annual cases increasing to more than 20,000 in 2019. Fars Province has the second-highest number of cases with more than 3000 cases in 2019 in Iran. This study aimed to survey the fauna and different species of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Fars Province, southwest Iran. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Sandflies were collected in urban and rural regions using the sticky-traps method, and then they were cleared and fixed in puris medium and identified using the pictorial key. Results: A total of 1071 of sandflies were collected. The dominant species consisted of 5 species of Phlebotomus (Ph. papatasi 55.4%, Ph. alexandri 17.4%, Ph.sergenti 5.6%, Ph. caucasicus 1.4%, Ph. ansari 0.46% and 6 species of Sergentomyia (Ser. sintoni 10.8%, Ser. antennata 5.4%, Ser. tiberiadis 1.4%, Ser. tobbi 1%, Ser. baghdadis 0.5%, and Ser. halepensis 0.09%. Conclusion: This investigation showed that Ph. papatasi was the most prevalent species playing a crucial role in the transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Fars Province. Species of Ph. papatasi and Ph. sergenti are the main vectors of CL in Iran. The healthcare system must take steps to control cutaneous leishmaniasis, raise awareness of the disease, and apply effective ways to prevent it.