VCVCL · Vector Control for Visceral and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Vector Control for Visceral and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) & cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are parasitic diseases transmitted to humans by the bite of the sand fly Phlebotomus perniciosus. In VL, the parasite migrates to the internal organs such as liver, spleen and bone marrow. Signs and symptoms include fever, weight loss, mucosal ulcers, fatigue, anemia and substantial swelling of the liver and spleen. VL if left untreated, will almost always result in the death of the host. Meanwhile, CL is the most common form of leishmaniasis in North Africa. It is a skin infection caused by a single-celled parasite that is also transmitted by the bite of the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi and can cause facial disfigurement. Both diseases tend to target children under 15 years old in European as well as South Mediterranean countries. Precise figures are not available but reports suggest that between 36,000 and 65,000 deaths occur in endemic Mediterranean countries each year. In the absence of an effective vaccine and treatement, The EU and WHO recognize the significance of the health problem and have called for research to develop innovative tools to control populations of P. papatasi and P. perniciosus.. Keele research group has developed a new strategy for controlling South American vector of VL (Lutzomiya longipalpis) based on sex pheromones. However, no studies concerning sex pheromones have performed concerning sand flies species from the Old World. Started in January 2008, Vector Control for Visceral and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (VCVCL) is addressing the aforementioned EU and WHO concerns by developing an alternative vector control strategy based on the use of sex pheromones of P. pernicious and P. papatasi. In collaboration with the Keele research group. During the return phase, only tasks 11, 12, and 13 have been performed. However, we were not able to test these lures in European countries (task 14, 15, and 16). Analysis of the results is underway. We hope to publish the study performed during the return phase in 2013. Two publications come out from this EU funded project: Chelbi, I., E. Zhioua, and J.G.C. Hamilton. 2011. Behavioral Evidence for the presence of a sex pheromone in male Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli (Diptera: Psychodidae). Journal of Medical Entomology, 48: 518-525. Chelbi, I., D.P. Bray and J.G.C. Hamilton. 2012. Courtship behaviour of Phlebotomus papatasi the sand fly vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Parasites and Vectors, 5:179. DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-179

Data: CORDIS, © European Union