Reproductive benefits of no-take marine reserves vary with region for an exploited coral reef fish.

No-take marine reserves (NTMRs) are expected to benefit fisheries via the net export of eggs and larvae (recruitment subsidy) from reserves to adjacent fished areas. Quantifying egg production is the first step in evaluating recruitment subsidy potential. We calculated annual egg production per unit area (EPUA) from 2004 to 2013 for the commercially important common coral trout, Plectropomus leopardus, on fished and NTMR reefs throughout the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. Geographic region, NTMR status, fish size, and population density were all found to affect EPUA. The interactions among these factors were such that, EPUA on NTMR reefs compared to reefs open to fishing was 21% greater in the southern GBR, 152% greater in the central GBR, but 56% less in the northern GBR. The results show that while NTMRs can potentially provide a substantial recruitment subsidy (central GBR reefs), they may provide a far smaller subsidy (southern GBR), or serve as recruitment sinks (northern GBR) for the same species in nearby locations where demographic rates differ. This study highlights the importance of considering spatial variation in EPUA when assessing locations of NTMRs if recruitment subsidy is expected from them.

Evidence of discrete yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) populations demands rethink of management for this globally important resource.

Tropical tuna fisheries are central to food security and economic development of many regions of the world. Contemporary population assessment and management generally assume these fisheries exploit a single mixed spawning population, within ocean basins. To date population genetics has lacked the required power to conclusively test this assumption. Here we demonstrate heterogeneous population structure among yellowfin tuna sampled at three locations across the Pacific Ocean (western, central, and eastern) via analysis of double digest restriction-site associated DNA using Next Generation Sequencing technology. The differences among locations are such that individuals sampled from one of the three regions examined can be assigned with close to 100% accuracy demonstrating the power of this approach for providing practical markers for fishery independent verification of catch provenance in a way not achieved by previous techniques. Given these results, an extended pan-tropical survey of yellowfin tuna using this approach will not only help combat the largest threat to sustainable fisheries (i.e. illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing) but will also provide a basis to transform current monitoring, assessment, and management approaches for this globally significant species.

Multi-scale analysis of the associations among egg, larval and pupal surveys and the presence and abundance of adult female Aedes aegypti (Stegomyia aegypti) in the city of Merida, Mexico.

Despite decades of research, there is still no agreement on which indices of Aedes aegypti (Stegomyia aegypti) (Diptera: Culicidae) presence and abundance better quantify entomological risk for dengue. This study reports the results of a multi-scale, cross-sectional entomological survey carried out in 1160 households in the city of Merida, Mexico to establish: (a) the correlation between levels of Ae. aegypti presence and abundance detected with aspirators and ovitraps; (b) which immature and egg indices correlate with the presence and abundance of Ae. aegypti females, and (c) the correlations amongst traditional Aedes indices and their modifications for pupae at the household level and within medium-sized geographic areas used for vector surveillance. Our analyses show that ovitrap positivity was significantly associated with indoor adult Ae. aegypti presence [odds ratio (OR) = 1.50; P = 0.03], that the presence of pupae is associated with adult presence at the household level (OR = 2.27; P = 0.001), that classic Aedes indices are informative only when they account for pupae, and that window screens provide a significant level of protection against peridomestic Ae. aegypti (OR = 0.59; P = 0.02). Results reinforce the potential of using both positive collections in outdoor ovitraps and the presence of pupae as sensitive indicators of indoor adult female presence.

Spatial variation in the effects of size and age on reproductive dynamics of common coral trout Plectropomus leopardus.

The effects of size and age on reproductive dynamics of common coral trout Plectropomus leopardus populations were compared between coral reefs open or closed (no-take marine reserves) to fishing and among four geographic regions of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. The specific reproductive metrics investigated were the sex ratio, the proportion of vitellogenic females and the spawning fraction of local populations. Sex ratios became increasingly male biased with length and age, as expected for a protogyne, but were more male biased in southern regions of the GBR (Mackay and Storm Cay) than in northern regions (Lizard Island and Townsville) across all lengths and ages. The proportion of vitellogenic females also increased with length and age. Female P. leopardus were capable of daily spawning during the spawning season, but on average spawned every 4·3 days. Mature females spawned most frequently on Townsville reserve reefs (every 2·3 days) and Lizard Island fished reefs (every 3·2 days). Females on Mackay reefs open to fishing showed no evidence of spawning over 4 years of sampling, while females on reserve reefs spawned only once every 2-3 months. No effect of length on spawning frequency was detected. Spawning frequency increased with age on Lizard Island fished reefs, declined with age on Storm Cay fished reefs, and declined with age on reserve reefs in all regions. It is hypothesized that the variation in P. leopardus sex ratios and spawning frequency among GBR regions is primarily driven by water temperature, while no-take management zones influence spawning frequency depending on the region in which the reserve is located. Male bias and lack of spawning activity on southern GBR, where densities of adult P. leopardus are highest, suggest that recruits may be supplied from central or northern GBR. Significant regional variation in reproductive traits suggests that a regional approach to management of P. leopardus is appropriate and highlights the need for considering spatial variation in reproduction where reserves are used as fishery or conservation management tools.

Age estimation and validation for South Pacific albacore Thunnus alalunga.

Validated estimates of age are presented for albacore Thunnus alalunga, sampled from a large part of the south-western Pacific Ocean, based on counts of annual opaque growth zones from transverse sections of otoliths. Counts of daily increments were used to estimate the location of the first opaque growth zone, which was completed before the first assumed birthday. The periodicity of opaque zones was estimated by marginal increment analysis and an oxytetracycline mark-recapture experiment. Both validation methods indicated that opaque zones formed over the austral summer and were completed by autumn to winter (April to August). The direct comparison of age estimates obtained from otoliths and dorsal-fin spines of the same fish indicated bias, which was assumed to be due to poor increment clarity and resorption of early growth zones in spines, resulting in imprecise age estimates. As such, age estimates from otoliths are considered to be more accurate than those from spines for T. alalunga. This is consistent with results for a growing number of tropical and temperate tuna Thunnini species. It is recommend that validated counts of annual growth zones from sectioned otoliths is used as the preferred method for estimating age-based parameters for assessment and management advice for these important stocks.

Comparative biology of tropical Lethrinus species (Lethrinidae): challenges for multi-species management.

Life-history characteristics of six tropical Lethrinus species sampled from the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area were compared. Two species groups were identified based on fork length (LF ): large species with maximum LF > 640 mm (longface emperor Lethrinus olivaceus, yellowlip emperor Lethrinus xanthochilus and spangled emperor Lethrinus nebulosus) and small species with maximum LF < 480 mm (Pacific yellowtail emperor Lethrinus atkinsoni, pink ear emperor Lethrinus lentjan and ornate emperor Lethrinus ornatus). Lifespan was not correlated with LF . Early growth for all species was rapid and similar during the first few years of life, but coefficients of the von Bertalanffy growth function varied considerably among species. Growth also differed between sexes for L. atkinsoni. Reproductive characteristics varied among species, with peak periods of spawning occurring in November to December for L. atkinsoni, July to August for L. nebulous, September to October for L. olivaceus and a protracted season for L. lentjan, although fewer samples were available for the last two species. Sex-specific LF and age distributions and gonad histology of L. lentjan were suggestive of a functional protogynous reproductive pattern, as observed in other lethrinids. Gonad histology indicated non-functional protogynous hermaphroditism for L. atkinsoni and L. nebulosus. The diversity of life histories among these closely related species emphasizes the difficulty in devising single management strategies appropriate for multi-species fisheries and illustrates the importance of understanding species-specific life histories to infer responses to exploitation.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices about leishmaniasis among cutaneous leishmaniasis patients in Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in Aleppo and yet the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of CL patients in Aleppo has never been studied. We conducted a KAP study among 70 CL patients attending 4 clinics in Aleppo. Participants were interviewed at recruitment and then at the end of treatment to ascertain their views on access to treatment and the quality of care provided. The mean age of respondents was 32.3 (SD 12.4) years and 59% were female. Most respondents referred to the disease as "one-year sore", linked it to insect bites and believed it was not contagious. Most believed it was preventable by the use of bednets and insecticides and knew the treatment mode. Only 26 (37%) respondents completed the second part of the questionnaire after treatment. Most of these (80%) rated the quality of care as acceptable or better. Assessment f the quality as "bad" correlated with failure to complete follow-up.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices about leishmaniasis among cutaneous leishmaniasis patients in Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic

Cutaneous leishmaniasis [CL] is endemic in Aleppo and yet the knowledge, attitudes and practices [KAP] of CL patients in Aleppo has never been studied. We conducted a KAP study among 70 CL patients attending 4 clinics in Aleppo. Participants were interviewed at recruitment and then at the end of treatment to ascertain their views on access to treatment and the quality of care provided. The mean age of respondents was 32.3 [SD 12.4] years and 59% were female. Most respondents referred to the disease as [one-year sore], linked it to insect bites and believed it was not contagious. Most believed it was preventable by the use of bednets and insecticides and knew the treatment mode. Only 26 [37%] respondents completed the second part of the questionnaire after treatment. Most of these [80%] rated the quality of care as acceptable or better. Assessment of the quality as [bad] correlated with failure to complete follow-up

Migration of formaldehyde from melamine-ware: UK 2008 survey results.

Fifty melamine-ware articles were tested for the migration of formaldehyde - with hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) expressed as formaldehyde - to see whether the total specific migration limit (SML(T)) was being observed. The SML(T), given in European Commission Directive 2002/72/EC as amended, is 15 mg kg(-1). Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was carried out on the articles to confirm the plastic type. Articles were exposed to the food simulant 3% (w/v) aqueous acetic acid under conditions representing their worst foreseeable use. Formaldehyde and HMTA in food simulants were determined by a spectrophotometric derivatization procedure. Positive samples were confirmed by a second spectrophotometric procedure using an alternative derivatization agent. As all products purchased were intended for repeat use, three sequential exposures to the simulant were carried out. Formaldehyde was detected in the simulant exposed to 43 samples. Most of the levels found were well below the limits set in law such that 84% of the samples tested were compliant. However, eight samples had formaldehyde levels that were clearly above the legal maximum at six to 65 times the SML(T).

Two Leishmania species circulating in the Kaleybar focus of infantile visceral leishmaniasis, northwest Iran: implications for deltamethrin dog collar intervention.

Leishmania infantum is the causative agent of infantile visceral leishmaniasis (IVL) in the Mediterranean Basin and, based on isoenzyme typing of a few isolates from patients and domestic dogs, this parasite was considered to predominate in the Kaleybar focus of IVL in northwest Iran. However, in the current investigation only one out of five sandfly infections was found to be L. infantum, based on PCR detection and sequencing of parasite internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA infecting Phlebotomus perfiliewi transcaucasicus. The four other infections were of haplotypes of L. tropica, the causative agent of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Middle East and a parasite occasionally detected in the viscera of dogs and patients in Iran and elsewhere. The widespread distribution of L. tropica in the Kaleybar focus suggests that this parasite is not a transient introduction. Kaleybar has been used for a deltamethrin dog collar intervention to reduce the biting rates of the vectors of L. infantum and this has significantly reduced the incidence of Leishmania infections both in children and the domestic dog, the usual reservoir host of IVL. The implications of finding L. tropica widespread in the heart of the intervention area are discussed. Extensive and intensive typing of natural Leishmania infections is a characteristic of epidemiological investigations in the Neotropics and the current report indicates that this will also be necessary in some regions of the Old World.

House-level risk factors for triatomine infestation in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease, transmitted domestically by triatomine bugs, is the most important vector-borne disease in Latin America. The association between triatomine infestation and housing characteristics was investigated based on a standardized survey in 41 971 houses in 15 Departments in Colombia. METHODS: Multivariate logistic regression was used to test for associations of two highly correlated infestation measures of infestation (householders reporting having seen triatomines inside the house, and sending triatomines to the survey team), with 15 household-level risk factors. Risks were measured relative to a reference category of houses with up to three inhabitants, area up to 50 m(2), unplastered adobe walls, thatch roof and no outbuildings or domestic animals. RESULTS: The probability of seeing triatomines was highest for households with over seven inhabitants (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.11-1.39), overhead storage space (OR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.03-1.32), grain shed (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.02-1.52), cats (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.14-1.42) and pigs (OR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.03-1.30). Lowest risks were in houses with wooden walls (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.34-0.61), fully plastered walls (OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.68-0.88), roofs made of tiles (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.33-0.78) and flagstone floors (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.42-0.76). Results for householders returning triatomines support this set of risk factors, but with wider confidence intervals. CONCLUSIONS: Surveillance of a few easily assessed household characteristics provides an accurate, rapid assessment of house-level variation in risk. Measured effect sizes for specific structural characteristics could be used to maximize the cost-effectiveness of programmes to reduce vector infestation and interrupt Chagas disease transmission by improving house quality.

Deltamethrin-impregnated bednets reduce human landing rates of sandfly vector Lutzomyia longipalpis in Amazon households.

The entomological efficacy of using 25% deltamethrin EC insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) was evaluated against the sandfly Lutzomyia longipalpis Lutz and Neiva (Diptera: Psychodidae), the principal vector of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) in Latin America. A crossover field study in Amazon Brazil (Marajó Island, Pará State) demonstrated that, compared with untreated nets, the insecticide increased the barrier effect of nets by 39% (95% confidence interval [CI] 34-44%), reduced human landing rates by 80% (95% CI 62-90%) and increased the 24-h mortality rate from 0% to 98% (95% CI 93-99%) inside ITNs. The presence of an ITN also reduced the human landing rate on unprotected persons outside the net in the same room by 56% (95% CI 52-59%), and increased 24-h mortality to 68% (95% CI 62-73%) compared to 0.4% (0.1-2.0%) in untreated houses. The reduction in human landing rates in ITN rooms was associated with a doubling in the proportion of sandflies alighting on walls compared with that in untreated rooms, which was attributed to insecticide-induced excito-repellency. There was no evidence that sandflies were diverted onto unprotected hosts. Human landing catches inside houses peaked between 19.00 hours and 23.00 hours and declined steadily to zero at 02.00 hours and thereafter. House-to-house questionnaires established that only 34% of households owned at least one net (median two, range 1-8), only 20% of the population slept under a net (33% of 0-5-year-old children), and the majority (73%) of the population slept in hammocks. Combined data pertaining to sleeping times for children and sandfly activity period indicate that > 50% of sandfly bites inside houses, and substantially more outside houses, were taken before a third of children were potentially protected by a net. This study demonstrates the clear entomological efficacy of ITNs against Lu. longipalpis in this endemic region. The effectiveness of ITNs at preventing ZVL infection and disease has still to be evaluated.

Are mosquitoes diverted from repellent-using individuals to non-users? Results of a field study in Bolivia.

Outside sub-Saharan Africa, Anopheline mosquito exophagic and/or crepuscular behaviour patterns imply that insecticide-treated nets may provide incomplete protection from malaria-infective mosquito bites. Supplementary repellent treatment has been recommended in such circumstances, especially where vectors are exophilic and so are not susceptible to residual insecticide spraying. As maintaining complete usage of repellents in a community is unrealistic, the potential negative impact on non-users of repellent usage by 'neighbours' in the same community needs to be addressed in the context of health policy promoting equity. This study quantifies diversion of host-seeking mosquitoes, from repellent wearing to unprotected individuals, 1 m apart under field conditions in Bolivia. Each of the six volunteer-pairs sat >20 m apart from other pairs. Volunteers were allocated di-ethyl toluamide (DEET) or mineral oil in ethanol control. Treatments were rotated, so that during the trial, both pair-members wore repellent on 72 occasions; both pair-members wore control on 72 occasions; and on 36 occasions, one pair-member wore repellent and the other control. Unprotected (control) pair-members received 36.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.1-72.0%] more Anopheles darlingi landings (P = 0.0096) and 20.4% (95% CI: 0.6-44.0%) more mosquito landings (P = 0.044), when their 'partner' wore repellent than when their partner also wore control. A second, smaller Latin-square trial using 30% lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) repellent, with control, obtained 26.0% (95% CI: 5.2-51.0%) more mosquito landings when controls sat with repellent-wearers rather than other controls (P = 0.0159). With incomplete community repellent usage, non-users could be put at an increased risk of malaria. The results also have implications for repellent-efficacy assay design, as protection will appear magnified when mosquitoes are given a choice between repellent-users and non-users.

Practical approach for typing strains of Leishmania infantum by enzyme polymorphism: a cross sectional study in Northwest of Iran.

In present study, All samples collected from Kalybar and Ahar districts in Northwest of Iran from 12 patients (bone marrow aspirates), 26 dogs (spleenic and hepatic aspirates) and more than 100 sand flies between years 2004-2006. All patients were clinically diagnosed to have visceral leishmaniasis. Serological profiles of all sera samples from both human and dogs were in accordance with leishmaniasis (DAT). Isoenzyme profiles of these isolates were compared with those of reference using 12 enzyme systems. L. infuntum MON-1 is the only zymodeme present in all samples of dogs, sand flies and human. The enzymatic polymorphism is compared to that of neighboring countries (Azarbaijan, Iraq and Turkey etc.) and we concluded that the Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) focus in northwest of Iran is evidently Mediterranean focus of zoonotic VL, which extends from Portugal and Morocco to Pakistan and the central Asian republics. Domestic doges act as the reservoir host, where Phlebotomus kandellakii and Perfiliewi ariasi are vectors.

Efficacy of thermotherapy to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica in Kabul, Afghanistan: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pentavalent antimony is the agent recommended for treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Its use is problematic, because it is expensive and because of the potential for drug-associated adverse effects during a lengthy and painful treatment course. METHODS: We tested the efficacy of thermotherapy for the treatment of CL due to Leishmania tropica in a randomized, controlled trial in Kabul, Afghanistan. We enrolled 401 patients with a single CL lesion and administered thermotherapy using radio-frequency waves (1 treatment of >or=1 consecutive application at 50 degrees C for 30 s) or sodium stibogluconate (SSG), administered either intralesionally (a total of 5 injections of 2-5 mL every 5-7 days, depending on lesion size) or intramuscularly (20 mg/kg daily for 21 days). RESULTS: Cure, defined as complete reepithelialization at 100 days after treatment initiation, was observed in 75 (69.4%) of 108 patients who received thermotherapy, 70 (75.3%) of 93 patients who received intralesional SSG, and 26 (44.8%) of 58 patients who received intramuscular SSG. The OR for cure with thermotherapy was 2.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-5.41), compared with intramuscular SSG treatment (P=.002). No statistically significant difference was observed in the odds of cure in comparison of intralesional SSG and thermotherapy treatments. The OR for cure with intralesional SSG treatment was 3.75 (95% CI, 1.86-7.54), compared with intramuscular SSG treatment (P<.001). The time to cure was significantly shorter in the thermotherapy group (median, 53 days) than in the intralesional SSG or intramuscularly SSG group (median, 75 days and >100 days, respectively; P=.003). CONCLUSIONS: Thermotherapy is an effective, comparatively well-tolerated, and rapid treatment for CL, and it should be considered as an alternative to antimony treatment.

Effect of insecticide-impregnated dog collars on incidence of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in Iranian children: a matched-cluster randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Deltamethrin-impregnated dog collars reduce sandfly bite rates on dogs, and are effective in killing sandflies that attempt to feed. Because domestic dogs are the principal reservoir hosts of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis, we tested whether community-wide application of dog collars could protect children against infection with Leishmania infantum, the parasite that causes the disease. METHODS: 18 villages were paired, matched by preintervention child prevalence of L infantum infection. Within pairs, villages were randomly assigned to either control or intervention. All domestic dogs in intervention villages were provided with collars for the transmission season. The main outcome measure was incidence of L infantum infection after 1 year measured by seroconversion. Secondary outcomes were leishmanin skin test (LST) conversion and seroconversion in dogs. FINDINGS: The seroconversion rate in children was 1.49% (17/1141) in the intervention villages and 2.41% (26/1078) in control villages (odds ratio 0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.90, p=0.017). LST conversion was also lowered, but not significantly (odds ratio 0.66, 0.41-1.08, p=0.096). The seroconversion rate in dogs in intervention villages was also significantly reduced (0.46, 0.30-0.70, p=0.0003). INTERPRETATION: Community-wide application of deltamethrin-impregnated dog collars not only protects domestic dogs from L infantum infections, but might also reduce the risk of L infantum infection in children. These dog collars could have a role in control of visceral leishmaniasis and replace controversial dog culling programmes in some countries. However, the effectiveness of dog collars will depend on the importance of wild versus domestic canids as reservoir hosts of L infantum.

American cutaneous leishmaniasis in domestic dogs: an example of the use of the polymerase chain reaction for mass screening in epidemiological studies.

Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are firmly incriminated as reservoir hosts of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis. As an increasing number of studies have reported high infection rates with American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in dogs, it is suggested that they should also be incriminated as reservoir hosts of ACL. The evidence to incriminate dogs as ACL reservoir hosts is reviewed, and we conclude that there is, as yet, only circumstantial evidence to support that claim, one of the reasons being that diagnostic tests (mainly serology) used in the studies underestimate the true rate of infection. We report results from the first large-scale study to measure ACL infection rates using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A high prevalence of ACL was detected in blood and bone marrow of dogs surveyed in an area of Peru endemic for Leishmania braziliensis and L. peruviana, providing further evidence for their suspected role as ACL reservoir hosts. However, the relatively low ACL prevalence detected in symptomatic dogs (i.e., dogs with ACL lesions or scars) demonstrated that PCR alone cannot be the diagnostic 'gold standard' for mass screening of samples in epidemiological studies.

Distribution of putative male sex pheromones among Lutzomyia sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae).

Male Lutzomyia longipalpis produce terpene sex pheromones in glandular tissue underlying the cuticle. The pheromones are transmitted to the surface via cuticle-lined ducts (measuring 0.25 microm in diameter), each of which reaches the surface in the centre of a papule (measuring 3-3.5 microm in diameter). Similar papules, in a range of shapes but all characterized by the presence of a central pore and absence of macroserae, occur in some other species of sandfly. The aim of the present study was to determine the distribution of sex pheromones in sandflies of the genus Lutzomyia that do and do not have the papules. The results indicate that sex pheromones are not widely distributed amongst male Lutzomyia spp. Male members of the genus can be subdivided into three groups: those that produce terpenes and have cuticular papules; those that do not produce terpenes but still have the associated papules; and those that have neither terpenes nor papules. The papules seen in the species that do not synthesise sex pheromones are presumably vestigial, non-functional structures. Such species may have stopped producing pheromone as the result of changes in the way in which the females found and selected mates or changing feeding preferences. A similar event has occurred in the Lepidoptera, where vestigial pheromone-secreting structures remain in some species which no longer produce pheromone. Lutzomyia lenti collected in southern Brazil produced a novel diterpene whereas male L. lenti from north-eastern Brazil did not, supporting suggestions by others that L. lenti is, like L. longipalpis, a species complex.

Topical insecticide treatments to protect dogs from sand fly vectors of leishmaniasis.

We compared the susceptibility of sand fly vectors to four topical insecticide treatments applied to domestic dogs, a reservoir of human leishmaniasis. Dogs were exposed to sand flies pretreatment and at 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months posttreatment. Sand fly bloodfeeding and survival rate of both fed and unfed flies were significantly reduced by the permethrin, deltamethrin, and fenthion treatments, but diazinon had no effect. The survival rate of bloodfed sand flies was reduced by up to 86% with deltamethrin collars. The antifeeding effect suggests that deltamethrin collars may be recommended to dog owners to protect their pets from sandfly- borne diseases. The combined effects on sand fly feeding and survival indicate that epidemiologic, community-based trials are warranted to test whether deltamethrin collars could reduce the incidence of canine and, hence, human leishmaniasis.