Evaluating the use of a low dose fipronil bait in reducing black-tailed prairie dog () fleas at reduced application rates.

Plague is a virulent zoonosis, vectored by fleas, posing danger to black-tailed prairie dogs (BTPDs) (), black-footed ferrets (), and humans in North America. During prior research, a fipronil grain bait (0.005%) applied at rates of 1-½ cup/burrow, reduced flea abundance by > 95-100% when applied three times February-March in northern Colorado.

Short-term movement of Phlebotomus argentipes (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a visceral leishmaniasis-endemic village in Bihar, India.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), transmitted by the sand fly, Phlebotomus argentipes, is frequently reported on the Indian subcontinent where its basic ecology is largely unknown. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of sugar solution (10%), containing colored food dye (0.5%) applied to peridomestic vegetation, to mark P.

Plant-feeding phlebotomine sand flies, vectors of leishmaniasis, prefer .

Blood-sucking phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) transmit leishmaniasis as well as arboviral diseases and bartonellosis. Sand fly females become infected with parasites and transmit them while imbibing vertebrates' blood, required as a source of protein for maturation of eggs. In addition, both females and males consume plant-derived sugar meals as a source of energy.

Field evaluation of a 0.005% fipronil bait, orally administered to Rhombomys opimus, for control of fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) and phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan.

Plague (Yersinia pestis) and zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (Leishmania major) are two rodent-associated diseases which are vectored by fleas and phlebotomine sand flies, respectively. In Central Asia, the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) serves as the primary reservoir for both diseases in most natural foci. The systemic insecticide fipronil has been previously shown to be highly effective in controlling fleas and sand flies.

Bionomics of Phlebotomus argentipes in villages in Bihar, India with insights into efficacy of IRS-based control measures.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a deadly vector-borne disease. Approximately 90% of Indian VL cases occur in Bihar, where the sand fly, Phlebotomus argentipes, is the principal vector. Sand fly control in Bihar consists of indoor residual spraying (IRS), the practice of spraying the inner walls of village dwellings with insecticides.