Figure 5

Sand fly experimental infections and xenodiagnostic studies. A Colonized P. perniciosus taking a blood meal from animal paws of anesthetized hamster during xenodiagnosis; B Midgut dissection of P. perniciosus infected with POL2FL6 5 days after xenodiagnosis, with motile promastigotes coming out of the anterior part; C Midgut of an infected sand fly showing an enlarged stomodeal valve; D Midgut dissection of experimentally infected P. perniciosus after biting on a hamster (re-feeding) and thus, potentially transmitting Leishmania parasites.