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Sandflies are vectors of protozoa, viruses, and bacteria. To investigate the transmission of phleboviruses, a total of 8753 sandflies were collected in four foci of leishmania. A total of 16 distinct species were morphologically identified. Nested-PCR and cell culture screening for phleboviruses, using an assay targeting the polymerase gene, showed positive results for 19 pools of sandflies. Sequencing of the corresponding products confirmed the results and allowed identification of Toscana virus exclusively. Corresponding sandfly species originated from four different foci, and were different from those commonly reported in the literature. Sequence analysis shows that the Moroccan Toscana viruses belong to genotype B and appear close to the Toscana viruses isolated in France and Spain. This study reported the existence of the virus in the north, center and south of the country. The abundance and diversity of sandflies in Morocco, Mediterranean climate, would support the continuous circulation of Toscana virus in our country, posing a potential risk of emergence of these arboviruses.

Phlebotomine sand-flies were captured on a bimonthly basis from April 1995 to March 1996 in the Kedougou district of south-east Senegal. In all, 6,642 specimens were identified belonging to 25 species. Eleven species were captured in tree holes, 17 in termites hills, 19 in rodent burrows and 23 on grass. Sergentomyia buxtoni, S. clydei, S. dubia, S. squamipleuris et S. schwetzi were the most abundant. Species from the genus Sergentomyia accounted for 99.3% versus 0.7% for the genus Phlebotomus, Phlebotomus duboscqi, the leishmaniasis vector in Senegal, was very rare. The male of S. edentula and S. herollandi were recorded for the first time. The sand-fly population was observed to peak in April. The most populated resting sites were, in decreasing order, termite-hills, burrows and tree-holes. Thirty virus strains from 5 different viruses (Saboya, Chandipura, Tete, ArD 95737, ArD 111740) were isolated from 30,482 specimens tested.