YUSUF OZBELSUHA KENAN ARSERIMAhmet Mermer2025-04-142025-04-142022http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14701/55432Objective: Human and canine leishmaniasis (CanL) are endemic in Turkey, and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a primary public\rhealth problem among vector-borne diseases, with 1500-2000 autochthonous cases per year. In this study, we aimed to perform\ra comprehensive entomological survey, including the detection of sand fly fauna, seasonal activity, and altitudinal distribution,\rtogether with the ecological features of Aydın Mountains and their surroundings that are endemic areas for CL caused by\rLeishmania tropica and CanL caused by L. infantum MON-1.\rMethods: The survey was carried out from June 2009 to July 2010. Ten localities with different altitudes were selected. Sand\rfly collection was done every 15 days in July and August when sand flies are most active and every 30 days between September\rand June (14 months, 16 samplings) using CDC light traps and sticky traps. During the collection, the temperature, humidity,\rand ecological and environmental features were recorded. Sand fly specimens were dissected and identified at species level using\rwritten keys.\rResults: A total of 6712 sand fly specimens (3268 females and 3444 males) were collected from 10 localities throughout all study\rperiods. Species identification revealed that nine and three species belonging to Phlebotomus (P. major s.l. 30.38%, P. tobbi 22.93%,\rP. papatasi 5.88%, P. sergenti s.l. 4.51%, P. alexandri 4.26%, P. simici 3.50%, P. burneyi 0.63%, P. brevis 0.45%, and Transphlebotomus\rspp. 0.28%) and Sergentomyia (S. dentata 23.17%, S. minuta 2.43%, and S. antennata 1.58%) were found, respectively. The seasonal\ractivities of these 12 sand fly species were determined, and P. major s.l. and P. tobbi, which were probable vectors of VL and CanL,\rwere present in the study area. P. sergenti s.l., a probable vector of CL, was also found in the region and was active for seven months\rbetween April and October. P. sergenti s.l. was found in the 400–600 m altitude in July, while P. major and P. tobbi were found in\rhigh densities in the 200-400 m altitude in September.\rConclusion: Our results showed that leishmaniasis vectors are present in different altitudes in the Aydın mountains and\rsurroundings. The findings revealed the time intervals of parasite transmission in the area and the period of applying protective\rmeasures, such as insecticide application.TürkçeHalk ve Çevre SağlığıGenel ve Dahili TıpMikrobiyolojiParazitolojiÇevre BilimleriVirolojiEntomoloji10.4274/tpd.galenos.2022.35119