Phlebotomine sand flies that transmit the protozoan parasite Leishmania differ greatly in
their ability to support different parasite species or strains in the laboratory: while some show …

Common bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, can carry, but do not transmit, pathogens to the
vertebrate hosts on which they feed. Some components of the innate immune system of bed …

Background Leishmania development in the sand fly gut leads to highly infective forms
called metacyclic promastigotes. This process can be routinely mimicked in culture. Gene …

Protozoa is a group of microorganisms that cause neglected tropical diseases, such as
malaria, Chagas disease, and Leishmaniasis. Due to the growing demand for new …

Background: Microbes particularly bacteria presenting in the gut of haematophagous insects
may have an important role in the epidemiology of human infectious disease. Methods: The …

Sand fly and Leishmania are one of the best studied vector-parasite models. Much is known
about the development of these parasites within the sand fly, and how transmission to a …

Background The binding of Leishmania promastigotes to the midgut epithelium is regarded
as an essential part of the life-cycle in the sand fly vector, enabling the parasites to persist …

Background Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in Latin
America. Sandfly immune responses are poorly understood. In previous work we showed …

This overview initially describes insect immune reactions and then brings together present
knowledge of the interactions of vector insects with their invading parasites and pathogens …

Rhodnius prolixus is an insect vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas
disease in Latin America. Nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κ B) transcription factors (TF) are conserved …