CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN KENYA - SERGENTOMYIA-GARNHAMI (DIPTERA, PSYCHODIDAE), A POSSIBLE VECTOR OF LEISHMANIA-MAJOR IN KITUI DISTRICT - A NEW FOCUS OF THE DISEASE

Investigations on phlebotomine sandflies in Tseikuru, Kitui District, Kenya were carried out to determine the vectors of Leishmania major, S andflies were trapped from animal burrows over a period of one year us ing castor oil-smeared sticky traps, Nineteen phlebotomine sandfly spe cies were identified and their prevalence in this habitat determined, Dissections on the parous sandflies resulted in the isolation of Leish mania parasites from Phlebotomus martial and Sergentomyia garnhami, Th e isolated parasites were cultured in NNN medium and were consequently mass cultured in RPMI medium for biochemical characterisation. The pa rasites from S, garnhami were typed as Leishmania major.