Leishmaniasis in Israel: Reservoir hosts, sandfly vectors and leishmanial strains in the Negev, Central Arava and along the Dead Sea

The reservoir animals, sandfly vectors and strains of Leishmania from foci in the southern region of Israel were studied. The rodent host species are: Psammomys obesus, Meriones crassus and probably Nesokia indica. The vector species are Phlebotomus papatasi, which were caught at all collecting sites and Ph. sergenti, which were collected in the area of the Dead Sea and in the Central Arava. Strains of Leishmania major isolated from rodents, vectors and man were serologically and enzymologically identical with regard to their excreted factor (EF) serotypes, their malate dehydrogenase (MDH), glucose-phosphate isomerase (GPI) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) enzyme variant types, but exhibited three variant subtypes of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH). The distribution of the 6PGDH subtypes correlates with three different geographical locations. Scarcity of water is the main factor limiting the biotopes of the sandflies and the spread of leishmaniasis. The subjects discussed are the dependence of sandfly distribution on rodent-burrow depth in arid areas and the inter-relationship between the leishmanial subtypes, vectors and hosts.