Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 14 1 2019 08 03 1269 1269 Abdollah Naghian Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Urmyia University of Medical Sciences, Urmyia, Iran Mohammad Ali Oshaghi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Vahideh Moein-Vaziri Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Yavar Rassi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Mehdi Sedaghat Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ehsan Mostafavi Department of Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Arshad Veysi Zoonoses Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Hassan Soleimani Yazd Health Research Station, National Institute of Health Research, Yazd, Iran Hossein Dehghan Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran Alireza Zahraei-Ramazani Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Hossein Mirhendi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Esfahan, Iran Mohammad Hassan Amini Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Reza Yaghoobi-Ershadi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Amir Ahmad Akhavan Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2020 03 31 Background: Visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis are common in some areas of Iran and consider as health problems. Phlebotomus alexandri has been incriminated as a suspected vector for the both form of leishmaniasis. Methods: This study was carried out in 4 western provinces of Iran. Sand flies were collected using sticky traps and light traps from indoor and outdoor resting places. Nested PCR was employed to detect Leishmania parasites among collected sand flies. Results: Seven hundred and twenty two P. alexandri females were collected and pooled in 179 batches. Results of nested PCR showed, out of 9 samples from East Azerbaijan Province, only one sample was infected by Leishmania infantum. Of 34 individual and pooled samples from Kermanshah Province, only one pooled sample was infected with Leishmania major and among 30 individual and pooled samples in Fars Province, five specimens were infected by L. major, L. infantum, Leishmania donovani and Leishmania tropica. Furthermore, out of 108 individual and pooled samples from Khuzestan Province, 10 samples showed infection with L. major and L. infantum. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that P. alexandri is more active in hot zones than in moderate zones and this species may be considered as a permissive species. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1269 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1269/491