A survey on canine leishmaniasis and phlebotomine sand flies in central Italy.

Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) is a vector-transmitted zoonosis caused by the parasitic protozoan Leishmania infantum. Bloodsucking sand flies of the subfamily Phlebotominae are the obligatory insect hosts, and the dog is the only domestic reservoir. This study reports data from a survey of canine infection and sand fly phlebotomine monitoring in the province of Perugia in central Italy.