Lutzomyia

insect genus

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July 21, 2026

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Lutzomyia fly — *Lutzomyia* fly *Lutzomyia* fly, a carrier of the bacterium *Bartonella bacilliformis*, the cause of Carrión disease in humans.

Lutzomyia is a genus of sand flies that transmit parasitic protists belonging to the genus Leishmania. These protists cause a disease called leishmaniasis in vertebrates, including humans.12

Sand flies, specifically those in the Lutzomyia genus in the Americas, ingest the parasites when feeding on an infected host. The parasites develop within the sand fly and are then transmitted to a new host through the fly's bite during its next blood meal.21

Leishmaniasis can manifest in three main forms: visceral, cutaneous, and mucocutaneous, depending on the Leishmania species and the host's immune response. Lutzomyia species are also vectors for other diseases, such as pappataci fever, a viral illness transmitted by sand flies.23

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Carrión disease
…sand flies of the genus Lutzomyia, which propagate in the Andes Mountains in parts of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. Oroya fever develops between 3 and 12 weeks following disease transmission. Diagnosis typically is through blood testing and antibody detection. The disease responds well to certain antibiotics. Control measures are directed…
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…sand flies of the genus Lutzomyia, which propagate in the Andes Mountains in parts of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. Oroya fever develops between 3 and 12 weeks following disease transmission. Diagnosis typically is through blood testing and antibody detection. The disease responds well to certain antibiotics. Control measures are directed…
Read More