simple micro-assay method for estimating blood meal size of the sand fly, phlebotomus langeroni [diptera: psychodidae]

ABSTRACT

The accurate measurement of blood meal size in Phlebotomus langeroni, the potential vector of infantile visceral leishmaniasis in Egypt, is important to determine the number of parasites taken in fully engorged insects. A simple protein content micro-assay was introduced for that purpose. The accuracy of this method was confirmed by hemoglobin estimation method. Laboratory bred P. langeroni were fed artificially on defibrinated human blood and the fully engorged flies were carefully dissected on ice, within 1-10 minutes after feeding, since the time of dissection was critical. The serial concentrations of the defibrinated human blood were required as standards. The results showed that the full blood meal taken by P. langeroni ranged from 0.76 to 0.94 mm3 of blood with a mean volume of 0.85 +/- 0.02 mm3 and from 0.71 to 0.99 mm3 of blood with a mean volume of 0.83 +/- 0.02 mm3 as measured by protein content and hemoglobin estimation methods, respectively. Data showed that there was no significant difference between the two methods in estimating the blood meal size of P. langeroni. In addition, protein content micro-assay had the advantages of being accurate, rapid, sensitive and reliable