Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) associated with a cutaneous leishmaniosis case of a Crohn’s disease patient in a residential area of the Levante region (Eastern Spain)

Sand flies in a residential area of Eastern Spain

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the sand fly population in a residential area of Valencia province associated with a case of cutaneous leishmaniosis diagnosed in early 2025 in an immunosuppressed adolescent with Crohn’s disease.

Method: An entomological survey was conducted from July to September 2024 in the garden of a residence in La Eliana (Valencia province), several months before the leishmaniosis case was diagnosed. One BG-Sentinel 2 trap baited with BG-Lure was deployed once per week for 24 hours to monitor Aedes albopictus activity. As other hematophagous Diptera had been preserved, sand flies were later analyzed.

Results: The presence of Phlebotomus perniciosus, a major vector of Leishmania infantum in Southern Europe, was confirmed, although in low numbers.

Conclusions: Considering the parasite’s incubation period and the patient’s absence of recent travel history, the infection was most likely acquired in or near the home environment, highlighting the potential epidemiological significance of peri-domestic transmission in endemic Mediterranean areas.