BACKGROUND:

Background: Phlebotomine sand flies are blood-sucking insects transmitting Leishmania parasites. Hosts bitten by sand flies develop immune response against sand fly salivary antigens. Specific anti-saliva IgG indicate the exposure to the vector and may also help to estimate the risk of Leishmania spp. transmission. In this study, we examined the canine antibody response against the saliva of Phlebotomus perniciosus, the main vector of Leishmania infantum in Mediterranean basin, and characterized salivary antigens of this sand fly species.