Los flebotómidos (Diptera, Phlebotominae) como insectos vectores de leishmaniasis en el hombre: nuevas aportaciones a la entomología médica

The plebotomids (Diptera, Phlebotominae) as insects vectors of leishmaniasis in the humans: New contributions for the medical entomology. The plebotomids are biting flies that are frequent in our environment. Various species live in the Iberian Peninsula. The majority of these are potentially vectors of the protozoa Leishmania tropica, the natural reservoir of which is the dog. In man, bites can produce cutaneous phatologies through inoculation with this microorganism, which reproduces intracellulary, causing lesions of the skin and other organs. Two clinical cases of leishmaniasis in humans are described, induced by bites of these flies, and the importance as vectors of the zoonosis is discussed.