Geographical distribution and ecological aspect of sand fly species in Bangladesh

Phlebotomine sand flies, which are biological vectors of Leishmania spp., are represented by around 400 species in the Old World and more than 600 species in the Americas. The vector sand fly species generally belong to the Phlebotomus genus in the Old World and the Lutzomyia genus in the New World. They are yellowish, long legged hairy insects and active after sunset until sunrise. Sand flies can transmit Leishmania parasites as well as some group of viruses called Phleboviruses and a bacterium, Bartonella bacilliformis. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL, Kala-azar) caused by Leishmania donovani is an important health problem in the Indian subcontinent including Bangladesh and Phlebotomus argentipes is a proven vector species of Leishmania donovani. In Bangladesh, a total of 13 sand fly species (3 Phlebotomus, 10 Sergentomyia spp.) were recorded so far. All studies showed the dominancy of P. argentipes especially in endemic areas for VL. In this chapter, besides P. argentipes and its biological and ecological features, other species constituting sand fly fauna and their geographical distribution in Bangladesh are discussed. © Springer International Publishing 2016

The efficacy of long lasting insecticidal nets for leishmaniasis in Asia

Vector control is an important part of controlling arthropod-transmitted diseases such as leishmaniasis, dengue, lymphatic filariasis, and malaria. Selecting the most appropriate vector control measures is essential. The current vector control strategy for visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which is the most severe form of leishmaniasis, is based on indoor residual spraying (IRS) in the Indian subcontinent. However, this technique has received critique, not only on its effectiveness and sustainability, but also for its side effects on health and the environment. Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) have been proposed as an alternative measure to IRS; however, the effectiveness of LLINs is still under the evaluation for vector control of leishmaniasis. This review aims to examine the potential of LLINs for controlling VL in the Indian subcontinent, areas that are some of the most highly endemic for VL. © Springer International Publishing 2016

New light for one-world approach toward safe and effective control of animal diseases and insect vectors from leishmaniac perspectives

© 2016 The Author(s). Light is known to excite photosensitizers (PS) to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the presence of oxygen. This modality is attractive for designing control measures against animal diseases and pests. Many PS have a proven safety record. Also, the ROS cytotoxicity selects no resistant mutants, unlike other drugs and pesticides. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) refers to the use of PS as light activable tumoricides, microbicides and pesticides in medicine and agriculture. Here we describe photodynamic vaccination (PDV) that uses PDT-inactivation of parasites, i.e. Leishmania as whole-cell vaccines against leishmaniasis, and as a universal carrier to deliver transgenic add-on vaccines against other infectious and malignant diseases. The efficacy of Leishmania for vaccine delivery makes use of their inherent attributes to parasitize antigen (vaccine)-presenting cells. Inactivation of Leishmania by PDT provides safety for their use. This is accomplished in two different ways: (i) chemical engineering of PS to enhance their uptake, e.g. Si-phthalocyanines; and (ii) transgenic approach to render Leishmania inducible for porphyrinogenesis. Three different schemes of Leishmania-based PDV are presented diagrammatically to depict the cellular events resulting in cell-mediated immunity, as seen experimentally against leishmaniasis and Leishmania-delivered antigen in vitro and in vivo. Safety versus efficacy evaluations are under way for PDT-inactivated Leishmania, including those further processed to facilitate their storage and transport. Leishmania transfected to express cancer and viral vaccine candidates are being prepared accordingly for experimental trials. We have begun to examine PS-mediated photodynamic insecticides (PDI). Mosquito cells take up rose bengal/cyanosine, rendering them light-sensitive to undergo disintegration in vitro, thereby providing a cellular basis for the larvicidal activity seen by the same treatments. Ineffectiveness of phthalocyanines and porphyrins for PDI underscores its requirement for different PS. Differential uptake of PS by insect versus other cells to account for this difference is under study. The ongoing work is patterned after the one-world approach by enlisting the participation of experts in medicinal chemistry, cell/molecular biology, immunology, parasitology, entomology, cancer research, tropical medicine and veterinary medicine. The availability of multidisciplinary expertise is indispensable for implementation of the necessary studies to move the project toward product development