Which organism serves as the vector for Leishmania?

Which organism serves as the vector for Leishmania?

• A. Female Sandfly
• B. Male Sandfly
• C. Mosquito
• D. Tick

Answer: (A)

Leishmania is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. The vector is the female sandfly because only females take blood meals, and transmission occurs when the fly injects metacyclic promastigotes into the skin during feeding. Inside the sandfly, the parasite changes from the ingested amastigotes to promastigotes, then migrates to the fly’s foregut and proboscis to be transmitted on the next bite. Males do not feed on blood and therefore do not transmit the parasite. Mosquitoes and ticks are vectors for other diseases, but not Leishmania.

Leishmania is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. The vector is the female sandfly because only females take blood meals, and transmission occurs when the fly injects metacyclic promastigotes into the skin during feeding. Inside the sandfly, the parasite changes from the ingested amastigotes to promastigotes, then migrates to the fly’s foregut and proboscis to be transmitted on the next bite. Males do not feed on blood and therefore do not transmit the parasite. Mosquitoes and ticks are vectors for other diseases, but not Leishmania.