Phlebotomus argentipes is the primary vector of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) in India. Which characteristic of this sandfly is most important for designing vector control?
- A It breeds in clean stagnant water and is best controlled by larviciding
- B It breeds in forest canopies and is controlled by aerial fogging
- C It is a peridomestic fly resting in damp cracks in mud walls and floors, controlled by indoor residual spraying with DDT ✓
- D It is susceptible to insect growth regulators applied to salt-marsh breeding sites
Correct answer: C. It is a peridomestic fly resting in damp cracks in mud walls and floors, controlled by indoor residual spraying with DDT
Explanation
Phlebotomus argentipes is peridomestic (peri-household), resting in moist, dark microhabitats including cracks in mud floors/walls, cattle sheds and peri-domestic rubble. Under India's Kala-azar Elimination Programme, indoor residual spraying (IRS) with DDT (2 g/m²) remains the mainstay vector control alongside synthetic pyrethroids in DDT-resistant areas. Sandflies do not breed in open water — they breed in moist organic matter in soil. Aerial fogging and salt-marsh larviciding are irrelevant to this vector.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.