ABOUT ACTIVEPHLEBO

ACTIVEPHLEBO is the acronym of the project 'Active Surveillance of Sand Fly Populations and Neglected Vector-Borne Diseases of Public Health Importance in Romania', a grant of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, CNCS-UEFISCDI.

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The idea of ACTIVEPHLEBO started from the hypothesis that the Mediterranean basin is highly endemic for zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in humans and canine leishmaniasis (CanL) in dogs caused by Leishmania infantum, transmitted by specific sand fly vectors. In Romania, three sand fly species, Phlebotomus perfiliewi, Ph. neglectus, and Ph. balcanicus, serve as confirmed vectors for L. infantum and are currently present in the country.
Data on sand fly distribution in Romania indicate two notable regions: Mehedinţi Plateau in southwestern Romania and the natural reserve of Canaraua Fetii in the southeast. Mehedinţi Plateau exhibits the highest diversity of sand fly species in Romania, with five species identified in a recent study (2013-2018). This region is characterized by Mediterranean climatic influences, unique among Romanian territories.
The diversity of sand fly species in Romania, particularly in regions influenced by Mediterranean climate, poses a reemerging threat for vector-borne diseases. Continuous surveillance is essential to monitor multiannual dynamics, understand sand fly diversity and distribution, and address the resurgence of CanL and VL. Additionally, given the occurrence of imported cases in humans and dogs, active surveillance on vector distribution is crucial.

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The specific objectives of the project are:
                              1. To assess the potential factors of the occurrence of vector-borne diseases in dogs (CVBD) and sandfly-borne diseases in Romania using various methodologies
                                2. To do a molecular screening for a broad spectrum of canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD) and sandfly-borne pathogens in Romania.
                                 3. To evaluate the sandfly species composition, blood meal host preference and pathogen load in insect specimens captured in Romania.

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