A Cross Sectional Entomological Observation in Cutaneous leishmaniasis Endemic Highland Areas of Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract Background C utaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an important public health problem in the highlands of Ethiopia. In the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray, CL is widely prevalent but little is known regarding the sand fly fauna in the region. A short entomological survey was conducted to identify the species composition and habitats of sand flies in three highland CL foci of Ganta-Afeshum (Mugulat and Golea-Genahti) and Saesie-Tsaedemba (Kumasubuha) districts of Tigray in northern Ethiopia. Method Sand fly collections were carried out indoor and outdoor habitats in March/April 2018 using sticky papers and CDC light traps. The collected specimens were preserved in absolute and 70% alcohol, cleared, mounted in Berlese’s fluid and identified morphologically. Densities of sand flies between habitats were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test and habitat preference using Mann–Whitney-U test while their inter-habitat diversity was measured using Shannon-Weiner species diversity index. Result A total of 706 specimens belonging to ten species of two genera were identified: Phlebotomus longipes (27.6%), P. arabicus (10.6%) P. sergenti (4.7%) P. gibiensis (1.4%), Sergentomyia bedfordi (30.3%), S. clydei (12.3%), S. multidens (7.6%), S. africana (4.4%) S. wansoni (0.8%) and S. schwetzi (0.1%). P. longipes was represented in all the three study sites and four outdoor habitats, including animal sheds in compounds of residents but predominantly collected from caves and crevices (72.6%). Similarly, P. arabicus and P. sergenti were encountered only in caves and crevices in kumasubuha. Overall, higher sand fly densities (12.13/ m 2 ) and maximum species richness (S = 9) and diversity (H = 1.76) were observed in caves and crevices. Conclusion The study area was found to be rich in sand fly fauna including three Phlebotomus species known to be vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis in several countries of the old world. However, the role of P. arabicus and P. sergenti in cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission in Tigray requires further investigation. A longitudinal monthly collection would be recommended to get further insight into seasonal distribution and the diversity of the sand fly fauna in the region.