Control of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Vector, Phlebotomus Papatasi, Using Attractive Toxic Sugar Baits (Atsb) Publisher Pubmed



Saghafipour A¹ ; Vatandoost H² ; Zahraeiramazani AR² ; Yaghoobiershadi MR² ; Rassi Y² ; Jooshin MK³ ; Shirzadi MR⁴ ; Akhavan AA²
Source: PLoS ONE Published:2017

Abstract

Introduction: Attractive Toxic Sugar Baits (ATSB) is a new vector control method that meets Integrated Vector Management (IVM) goals. In an experimental design, this study aimed to determine effects of ATSB on control of Phlebotomus papatasi, as a main vector of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL), in Qom Province, center of Iran. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, boric acid was mixed with brown sugar solution and tested as toxic baits for P. papatasi. Two methods were utilized to use the baits: (a) spraying ATSB on vegetation, bushes, and shrubs; and (b) setting ATSB-treated barrier fences in front of colonies at 500 m distance from the houses in outskirts of villages. In order to examine the residual efficacy rate of ATSB-treated barrier fences, the bioassay test was used. Density of P. papatasi sandflies was measured using sticky and light traps biweekly. For data analysis, Mann-Whitney U Test and Kruskal-Wallis were used. Results ATSB-treated barrier fences led to 3 times reduction in P. papatasi population. Besides that, ATSB spraying on plants led to more than 5 times reduction in P. papatasi population. Conclusions: Comparing the incidence of leishmaniasis in treated villages before and after the study showed that the incidence was statistically reduced. Therefore, ATSB is an effective method to control vectors and prevent leishmaniasis. © 2017 Saghafipour et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.