Sand Flies and Their Microbiota

Sand flies are a significant public health concern in many parts of the world where they are known to transmit agents of several zoonotic diseases to humans, such as leishmaniasis. Vector control remains a key component of many anti-leishmaniasis programs and probably will remain so until an effective vaccine becomes available. The sand fly gut microbiota has recently emerged as an encouraging field for the exploration of vector-based disease control. In particular, the gut microbiome was previously reported to either enhance or inhibit parasite activity depending on the species of bacteria and, thus, has the potential to alter vector competence. Here, we describe the technological advances that are currently expanding our understanding of microbiota composition in sand flies. The acquisition and composition of microbiomes are influenced by several abiotic and biotic factors, including host immunity, genetics, and the environment. Therefore, the microbiomes of sand flies can vary substantially between individuals, life stages, species, and over geographical space, and this variation likely contributes to differences in host phenotypes, highlighting opportunities for novel vector control strategies.