Background & Objectives: Leishmania infantum is the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Based on isoenzyme typing of a few isolates from patients and domestic dogs, this parasite was considered to predominate in the Kaleybar focus of VL in northwest Iran. There is no report of sandfly infections in this region so this study was aimed to investigate the infection of the sandflies in the field.

  Methods: Sandflies were sampled using sticky paper and CDC traps. Morphological identifications were carried out based on characters of the head and abdominal terminalia. DNA extracted from sandflies abdomens and thoraxes. ITS-rDNA gene of parasite was detected and identified as Leishmania after sequencing.

  Results: Out of 146 sandflies 9 were found to be infected with Leishmania. For first time, three Leishmania species (L. infantum, L. tropica and L. major) were identified in sandflies simultaneously in the region. Among the all sandflies only one Phlebotomus perfiliewi (vector of VL) was found to be infected with L. infantum. All Isolates were confirmed by sequencing of ITS-rDNA gene.

  Conclusion: However, Leishmania tropica and L. major were found more than L. infantum in sandflies in Kaleybar but it could not conclude that these two species of Leishmania are causative agents of VL. Because many criteria should be considered to incriminate an agent or vector of the disease.