Phlebotomus papatasi
Sand Fly
Sand fly (Phlebotomus papatasi). Credit: Photo Courtesy of Jim Gathany, CDC Photoservices
Habitat
Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera:Psychodidae), the principal vector for cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Old World, is found throughout Southwest and Central Asia, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. The developmental stages can be found in a wide-range of ecotopes with mild temperatures (22-27°C) and relatively high humidity (45-70%). Rodent burrows and animal shelters are excellent breeding sites for these sand flies and adults can sometimes be found in large cracks within walls and dark corners of houses.
Biology
P. papatasi are small, never reaching greater than 2-3 millimeter in length, and have the body covered with hair. Their flight, typical of sand flies, consists of short hops and, for the most part, with a reduced range. The life cycle, from egg to larval stages L1 through L4, pupae and adult takes approximately 3 to 4 weeks. The life span of adults is believed to be approximately 30 days.
Phlebotomus papatasi feed on natural sources of sugar such as plant tissues and honeydew left on plants by aphids. The females also are hematophagous, requiring a blood meal from a vertebrate host to generate eggs. These small flies pack a powerful punch however; the females secrete an array of molecules in their salivary glands that are injected into the vertebrate host during blood feeding, allowing the fly to feed and causing delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in humans. Elicitation of this response has been suggested to be an evolutionary advantage for sand flies, by increasing blood-flow at the bite site and, therefore decreasing the amount of time it takes for a sand fly to take a full blood meal. Although advantageous for sand flies, the DTH elicited by repeated exposure to sand fly bites protects against Leishmania infection.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis, also known as "Oriental Sore" or "Baghdad Boil" is caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania major. Parasites are transferred to a suitable host when the female sand fly attempts a blood meal and regurgitates the infectious parasites onto the vertebrate skin. Approximately 1.5 million new cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis occur world-wide each year with an estimate of 12 million people currently infected.
--Courtesy of Mary Ann McDowell
Sequencing Plan
A sequencing plan has not yet been determined. DNA is being prepared, and the genome then will undergo small-scale sequencing and heterozyogisity testing to help define the sequencing plan.
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Patrick Minx | The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine |
| Mary Ann McDowell | Center for Tropcial Disease Research and Training, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame |
| Dave Severson | Center for Tropcial Disease Research and Training, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame |
| Frank Collins | Center for Tropcial Disease Research and Training, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame |
| Jesus Valenzuela | Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health |
| Mike Lehane | Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine |
| Paul Bates | Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine |
| Paul Ready | Natural History Museum, London, UK |
| Rod Dillon | Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine |
| Sergio Verjovski-Almeid | University of Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Shaden Kamhawi | Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health |
| Marcelo Ortigao | The Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Notre Dame |
Sequences & Maps
Assemblies
| Name | Date | Description | Blast DBs |
| Phlebotomus_papatasi-2.0 | Sep 13, 2010 | 16.49x | contigs reads.unplaced |
Related Links
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