Phlebotomine Sandflies - Potential Vectors of Avian Trypanosomes

Phlebotomine sandflies were tested as potential vectors of avian trypanosomes (Kinetoplastea: Trypanosomatidae). Lutzomyia longipalpis and Phlebotomus arabicus took bloodmeals with cultured Trypanosoma avium parasites; mature infections with stages transmissible to canaries (Serinus canaria) developed in the sandflies. The infection rates ranged between 66 and 89%, with heavy infections in 24-78% fed females. L. longipalpis that fed on infected birds were also infected, and some developed mature infections (37 and 19%, resp). On the contrary, Lutzomyia longipalpis and Phlebotomus arabicus were not susceptible to infection with trypanosomes from T bennetti Glade. Our results, together with the previous findings of naturally infected L. caballeroi, suggest that sandflies could serve as vectors of avian trypanosomes from the T. avium Glade.