- Female sand flies in Sokoto State, Nigeria transmit leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease responsible for approximately 60,000 deaths annually, but there is limited knowledge about the sand fly species involved in this transmission in the region.
- A study collected 1,260 sand flies from three local government areas in Sokoto, using genetic methods to identify species, revealing five prevalent sand fly species during the rainy season, particularly in August and September.
- The analysis found that these sand flies are primarily related to species in Africa, with one species matching a strain found in Brazil, highlighting the urgent need for awareness and prevention of leishmaniasis in the region.