Impact of insecticide-treated bednets and indoor residual spraying in controlling populations of Phlebotomus duboscqi, the vector of Leishmania major in Central Mali

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic neglected tropical disease prevalent in several areas where seasonal malaria transmission is active. We assessed the effect of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and the mass distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets (LLINs) for malaria control on sand fly population diversity and abundance, and its impact on the risk of Leishmania transmission in the district of Baroueli, endemic for CL in Mali. METHODS: Kemena and Sougoula, two villages in the district of Baroueli, were selected for entomology surveys from March to September 2016 to evaluate sand fly species composition and density, and Leishmania infection rates in the vector Phlebotomus duboscqi. The surveys followed an annual indoor residual spraying and mass distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets (IRS/LLINs) that began in 2011 for malaria vector control. We also carried out a leishmanin skin test (LST) survey in the two villages to determine the incidence of Leishmania infection in humans living in the endemic area. RESULTS: A total of 2936 sand fly specimens, 1013 males and 1923 females, were collected and identified from the two villages throughout the study period. Fourteen species, 2 belonging to the genus Phlebotomus and 12 to the genus Sergentomyia, were documented. The genus Sergentomyia constituted 91% of collected sand flies versus 9% for the genus Phlebotomus (P. duboscqi and P. rodhaini). Of those, P. duboscqi was the most abundant, representing 99.6% of the collected Phlebotomus species. In both villages, P. duboscqi was most abundant during the end of dry season (June). The prevalence of Leishmania infection in individual females of P. duboscqi by PCR was 3.5%. After 5 years of the IRS/LLINs, the incidence of Leishmania infection in the human population as measured by LST was 4.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to historical data collected from 2005–2008, a considerable reduction was observed in both sand fly density and prevalence of human Leishmania infection in the villages of Kemena and Sougoula, Baroueli District, following IRS/LLINs. This suggests that IRS/LLINs used for mosquito control also impacts sand fly vectors reducing the incidence of leishmaniasis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00344084. Registered: 23 June 2006 ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2909-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.