Host preference of Phlebotomus argentipes and Phlebotomus papatasi in different biotopes of West Bengal, India.

Host preference Phlebotomus argentipes and Phlebotomus papatasi in different biotopes was investigated in two highly endemic Kala-azar districts of West Bengal, India for a better understanding of the transmission dynamics. Blood meals of 304 P. argentipes and 206 P. papatasi, collected from different biotopes from two Kala-azar affected districts in West Bengal, were tested against seven different antisera by modified Ouchterlony gel diffusion techniques. It appeared that host preference of P. argentipes varied widely in different biotopes, which is mainly zoophilic (62.80%), preferring to feed on man as the second choice (24.92%); however it is also a "chance feeder" according to biotopes. Multiple blood meals are also prevalent in P. argentipes at a much higher rate than that of P. papatasi. The implication in relation to epidemiological significance has been discussed.