First record of Phlebotomus sergenti (Diptera: Psychodidae) in China and its potential epidemiological implications
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Pathogen Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
- 2Key Laboratory of Biosafety Defense, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.
- 3Faculty of Naval Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
- 4Institute of Parasitic and Brucellosis Prevention and Treatment, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China.
Abstract
Background: Leishmaniasis is a severe parasitic disease transmitted by sand fly bites. Phlebotomus sergenti is a principal vector of Leishmania tropica, causing anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) across the Mediterranean, North Africa, South Asia, and West Asia. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, located in northwestern China, is a well-recognized endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), with sporadic cutaneous leishmaniasis cases also documented in the region. Nevertheless, Ph. sergenti has never been reported in China prior to this study. Methodology/principal findings: Field investigations were carried out in Artux City (July 2023) and Akto County (August–September 2024), Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Sand flies were collected using light traps in livestock pens and residential areas. A total of 2,013 sand fly specimens were collected and 319 of them were identified through morphological examination of the pharynx, spermathecae, and genitalia, combined with molecular analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes. Among the identified specimens, 145 specimens were identified as Ph. sergenti (36 from Artux City, 109 from Akto County), representing the first record of this species in China. Phylogenetic analysis based on COI and Cyt b sequences showed that Chinese Ph. sergenti populations clustered with those from neighboring countries (e.g., Afghanistan), with no significant genetic differentiation between the two sampling localities. Metagenomic screening of pooled samples revealed the presence of Wolbachia endosymbionts but no detection of Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp. or Bartonella spp. in the collected Ph. sergenti specimens. Conclusions/significance: This study represents the first confirmed record of Ph. sergenti in China, filling a critical gap in the distribution map of this medically important sand fly species. The occurrence of Ph. sergenti at the China—Kyrgyzstan border region suggests potential transboundary dispersal of this vector and underscores the need for enhanced surveillance and cross-border collaborative efforts to monitor the spread of leishmaniasis and other vector-borne diseases in Central Asia. Author summary: Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease transmitted by tiny sand flies, posing a persistent public health burden across many tropical and subtropical regions. In northwest China, Xinjiang has long been recognized as an endemic focus of severe visceral leishmaniasis, yet one key vector species, Phlebotomus sergenti, had never been documented in China prior to our study. We conducted field investigations in two border localities of Xinjiang in 2023 and 2024, collecting sand flies from livestock shelters and residential yards. Through combined morphological examination and DNA sequencing, we formally confirmed the presence of 145 Ph. sergenti specimens, representing the first record of this species in China. Our genetic analysis revealed close relationships between these Chinese populations and those from neighboring Central Asian countries, indicating potential transboundary dispersal of the vector. No Leishmania parasites were detected in the tested samples, whereas Wolbachia endosymbionts were widely present in the collected sand flies. Our findings fill a critical gap in the global distribution of this medically important insect. They also highlight the need for enhanced long-term surveillance and cross-border collaboration to guard against the potential spread of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the region.
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BibTeX
@article{dong2026first,
title = {{First record of Phlebotomus sergenti (Diptera: Psychodidae) in China and its potential epidemiological implications}},
author = {Haowei Dong and Anjie Yang and Wenqi Shan and Chunyan Zhao and Xiangyu Li and Bing Rui and Jiangshan Zhao and Maimaitijiang Wumaier and Heng Peng and Yajun Ma},
journal = {PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0014726},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014726},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - First record of Phlebotomus sergenti (Diptera: Psychodidae) in China and its potential epidemiological implications
AU - Haowei Dong
AU - Anjie Yang
AU - Wenqi Shan
AU - Chunyan Zhao
AU - Xiangyu Li
AU - Bing Rui
AU - Jiangshan Zhao
AU - Maimaitijiang Wumaier
AU - Heng Peng
AU - Yajun Ma
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014726
UR - https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014726
AB - Background: Leishmaniasis is a severe parasitic disease transmitted by sand fly bites. Phlebotomus sergenti is a principal vector of Leishmania tropica, causing anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) across the Mediterranean, North Africa, South Asia, and West Asia. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, located in northwestern China, is a well-recognized endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), with sporadic cutaneous leishmaniasis cases also documented in the region. Nevertheless, Ph. sergenti has never been reported in China prior to this study. Methodology/principal findings: Field investigations were carried out in Artux City (July 2023) and Akto County (August–September 2024), Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Sand flies were collected using light traps in livestock pens and residential areas. A total of 2,013 sand fly specimens were collected and 319 of them were identified through morphological examination of the pharynx, spermathecae, and genitalia, combined with molecular analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes. Among the identified specimens, 145 specimens were identified as Ph. sergenti (36 from Artux City, 109 from Akto County), representing the first record of this species in China. Phylogenetic analysis based on COI and Cyt b sequences showed that Chinese Ph. sergenti populations clustered with those from neighboring countries (e.g., Afghanistan), with no significant genetic differentiation between the two sampling localities. Metagenomic screening of pooled samples revealed the presence of Wolbachia endosymbionts but no detection of Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp. or Bartonella spp. in the collected Ph. sergenti specimens. Conclusions/significance: This study represents the first confirmed record of Ph. sergenti in China, filling a critical gap in the distribution map of this medically important sand fly species. The occurrence of Ph. sergenti at the China—Kyrgyzstan border region suggests potential transboundary dispersal of this vector and underscores the need for enhanced surveillance and cross-border collaborative efforts to monitor the spread of leishmaniasis and other vector-borne diseases in Central Asia. Author summary: Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease transmitted by tiny sand flies, posing a persistent public health burden across many tropical and subtropical regions. In northwest China, Xinjiang has long been recognized as an endemic focus of severe visceral leishmaniasis, yet one key vector species, Phlebotomus sergenti, had never been documented in China prior to our study. We conducted field investigations in two border localities of Xinjiang in 2023 and 2024, collecting sand flies from livestock shelters and residential yards. Through combined morphological examination and DNA sequencing, we formally confirmed the presence of 145 Ph. sergenti specimens, representing the first record of this species in China. Our genetic analysis revealed close relationships between these Chinese populations and those from neighboring Central Asian countries, indicating potential transboundary dispersal of the vector. No Leishmania parasites were detected in the tested samples, whereas Wolbachia endosymbionts were widely present in the collected sand flies. Our findings fill a critical gap in the global distribution of this medically important insect. They also highlight the need for enhanced long-term surveillance and cross-border collaboration to guard against the potential spread of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the region.
SN - 1935-2735
SN - 1935-2727
ER -