[Experimental assessment of the ability of different species of sandfly to transmit the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis].

The authors succeeded in transmission of the visceral leishmaniasis agent (kazakh strain of Leishmania infantum) through the sand flies Phlebotomus longiductus, P. smirnovi and P. papatasi under experimental conditions. Infected P. longiductus and P. smirnovi are capable of preserving the agent and infecting the susceptible mammals after the cessation of the 1st and 2nd gonotrophic cycles. P. papatasi transmitted the agent of visceral leishmaniasis only after the cessation of the 2nd gonotrophic cycle. Under the same conditions the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis agent through P. caucasicus failed. Informative value of characteristics of virtual vectors for differentiation of sand flies as carriers is analysed. A question of the necessity of obtaining additional data, which prove the role of P. caucasicus and P. papatasi as vectors of visceral leishmaniasis agent, is raised.