| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>The natural infection of phlebotomine sand flies by <it>Leishmania </it>parasites was surveyed in a desert area of Pakistan where cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic. Out of 220 female sand flies dissected, one sand fly, <it>Phlebotomus kazeruni</it>, was positive for flagellates in the hindgut. Analyses of cytochrome <it>b </it>(<it>cyt </it>b), glycosomal glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (<it>gGAPDH</it>) and small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences identified the parasite as a <it>Trypanosoma</it> species of probably a reptile or amphibian. This is the first report of phlebotomine sand flies naturally infected with a <it>Trypanosoma </it>species in Pakistan. The possible infection of sand flies with <it>Trypanosoma </it>species should be taken into consideration in epidemiological studies of vector species in areas where leishmaniasis is endemic.</p>
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