Decreased rate of Leishmania infected Phlebotomus captured in Constantine (Algeria) from 2011 to 2013

Leishmaniasis has been responsible for major public health concern in Algeria from decades. The incidence has previously reached 5000 cases per year, leading to a major medical and economic burden. However, since 2012, health services of Constantine area reported a trend to regression of the leishmaniasis cases number, based on unpublished observations from local health workers. This hypothesis is strengthened by the decrease of the glucantime quantity used to treat patients in different services of Constantine's University Hospital from 2010 to 2013.The objective of this work was to highlight the regression of the disease transmission in Constantine's area, using real time PCR for molecular detection of Leishmania parasites from the Phlebotomus vector. The sampling sandflies campaigns were conducted from 2011 to 2013 in some localities of Constantine area, leading to capture of 1498 and 4360 females and males Phlebotomus respectively. Our results showed a very low number of infected vectors among the population captured. While leishmaniasis transmission is complex and multifactorial, these data provide a first limited evidence of possible success of long term fighting against this disease in the Constantine area.