Vegetation and Leishmaniasis in Brazil

Visceral leishmaniasis is primarily contracted through bites from phlebotomine sandflies, which feed on and live in vegetation. We are collaborating with the Federal University of Bahia to determine how the presence of vegetation in close vicinity to a household affects the odds of contracting the disease. Domestic canine cases are being studied for this project, since domestic canines are the main reservoir for human cases in Brazil.