Short report: surveillance of Leishmania sp. among sand flies in Sicily (Italy) using a fluorogenic real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum is a complex zoonotic disease, resulting in cutaneous and visceral manifestations in both dogs and humans. The present study involved a published Taqman fluorogenic real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for surveillance of Leishmania sp. parasites among sand flies trapped in two provinces in Sicily, Catania and Agrigento, during the summer and fall of 2003. Only male specimens were identified to species level, while females were used to evaluate Leishmania sp. infection by PCR testing. The two most prevalent sand fly species found were Phlebotomus perfiliewi and P. perniciosus. Of the female sand flies tested, 2.9% were positive for Leishmania sp. DNA by the PCR.