In both habitats, the presence of the sand fly vector identified as Phlebotomus perniciosus was confirmed.

Membrane feeding bioassays with Phlebotomus papatasi were used to evaluate the phlebotomine mortality efficacy of the different treatments.

The parasite is transmitted by the hematophagous sand fly vector of the genus Phlebotomus in the old world and Lutzomyia in the new world.

The complete genome sequences of sand flies (Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia) are currently not available and this hinders identification of proteins in the sand fly vector.