SPECIES COMPOSITION AND HABITAT PREFERENCE SANDFLIES IN OCHOLLO VILLAGEL: A CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS HOT SPOT IN SOUTHWEST ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease, caused by Leishmania aethiopica, endemic in highlands of Ethiopia. Investigating sandflies composition and ecology is a pre-requisite for effective control of the vectors and the disease they transmitting. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the species composition and ecology of sandflies in Ochollo village, a CL hotspot in southwest Ethiopia. Sandflies were collected inside houses, in caves, in rocky and peri-domestic habitats using Center for CDC light traps and sticky traps (STs) from August 2016-February 2017. Collection of sandflies was done in thirty houses of three types namely: grass thatched roofs, corrugated iron roof and houses with grass thatched roofs and walls. All collected sandflies were morphologically identified into species using morphological keys. A total of 2,378 sandflies, three Phlebotomus (P. pedifer, P. ashfordi and P. arabicus) and four Sergentomyia (S. bedfordi group, S. affinis, S. africana and S. antennatus), were collected. Phlebotomus pedifer (69.76%) and S. bedfordi (21.48 %) were the most common species. Caves were the sites where most sandflies were collected by CDC traps (84.1 %) and STs (37.1 %). By ST, predominant collection was made inside caves (37.1 %), rocky fences (26. 8 %) and peri-domestic habitats (26.6 %), while small proportion was collected inside houses (9.5 %). Among the peri-domestic habitats, more sandflies were sampled externally in house cracks (41%; n = 46), followed by animal manures (24%; n = 27). One Phlebotomus (P. pedifer) and three Sergentomyia (S. bedfordi group, S. africana and S. affinis) species were collected inside houses by CDC light traps and STs. Phlebotomus pedifer was found to be the common species inside houses. Based on the house type, majority of sandflies were caught in houses with cracks on walls. In conclusion, P. pedifer was the only Phlebotomus species collected indoors, which might imply the role the species in CL transmission. This study also suggested that caves were the preferred habitat for resting which might be important for future implementation of vector control measures. Moreover, determining the blood meal sources in relation to the habitats and human biting behavior of the species is recommended to design effective intervention.