Leishmania donovani leishmaniasis in Cyprus

1recently discussed the emergence of Leishmania donovani in Cyprus. We would like to provide some additional data regarding possible vector species that might have caused the disease outbreak on this island. The presence of L donovani was reported in the eastern Mediterranean basin about 10 years ago in the vicinity of Kassab, northern Syria, when an isolate taken from Phlebotomus tobbi—a suspected vector of canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum at the time of the infected sandfl y’s discovery—was typed as belonging to a zymodeme close to L donovani MON-3. 2