Although there have been extensive and detailed studies on the vectors and reservoir hosts of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis on the West Bank of the central Jordan Valley, there is little information on the incidence, prevalence or distribution of human disease in occupied Palestinian territory. Although, zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is abundant in Wadi el Arish, very close to the Gaza Strip, there is no information about cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Gaza Strip.
The reservoir host of L. major, Ps. obesus, occurs widely in the plains and valleys of the central Jordan Valley, where it is associated with its main food plant, Atriplex species and leads to zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis infections.
Limited occurrences of L. tropica infection have been reported in villages to the east of Jerusalem, on the escarpment overlooking the Jordan Valley with P. sergenti acting as the vector.The pattern here closely resembles that studied in the hills of northern Galilee, where L. tropica has been shown to be anthroponotic, with Ps. Obesus acting as the reservoir host and both P. sergenti and P. arabicus as the vectors. However, confirmation that this is also the case in the escarpment villages near Jerusalem is lacking.
