Experimental transmission of Leishmania infantum by the bite of Phlebotomus perniciosus from Switzerland.

The possible role of the sandfly Phlebotomus perniciosus in the transmission of Leishmania infantum in southern Switzerland was investigated. It was found that the Syrian golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) could be infected by the bite of experimentally infected P. perniciosus females from canton Ticino, in southern Switzerland. This showed that this sandfly species could indeed be a vector for L. infantum in this area. However, as the population density of P. perniciosus is relatively low in canton Ticino, it is extremely unlikely that leishmaniasis could become endemic there.