**2. Materials and methods**

medical importance; over 20 of them are considered pathogenic for humans and 10 have been isolated from dogs, including *L. infantum* (Syn. *L. chagasi*), *L. donovani*, *L. tropica*, *L. major*, *L. arabica*, *L. amazonensis*, *L. mexicana*, *L. braziliensis*, *L. peruviana*, and *L. colombiensis*[1]. *L. donovani* is the one that causes human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) with more than 90% of the cases occurring in India, Sudan, Bangladesh, and Brazil [2]. This species is involved in anthroponotic epidemiological cycle with anthropophilic vector and humans act as the reservoir of the disease. *L. tropica* causes anthropophilic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Unique proven vector *Phlebotomus sergenti* is present mainly in urban areas, often at the periphery of old towns and cities, and in poor suburbs where low sanitary conditions facilitate breeding sites for this species. Zoophilic CL epidemics seem to be related to the fluctuations of the rodent popula‐ tions and the accumulations of nonimmune people. This disease is found mainly in rural areas. The responsible parasite for zoonotic CL is *L. major* and the proven vectorin the Mediterranean basin is *Phlebotomus papatasii* [3, 4]. *L. infantum* is involved in zoonotic epidemiological cycle with zoophilic vectors serving dogs as the reservoir of the disease [5] and is currently the predominant causative agent of VL in humans and dogs in the Mediterranean region. Majority of both suspected and proven vectors of this pathogen belongs to the *Larroussius* subgenus. With so many species of human‐infective parasites, different reservoir and vector species in a wide range of topographically different foci, the ecology, and epidemiology of leishmaniases

At the beginning of the twentieth century in Europe only sporadic human visceral leishma‐ niasis cases had been reported. The spread of the disease happened after 1975 and many of the European Union (EU) countries developed surveillance system around that time. The in‐ creased incidence of leishmaniasis in the Mediterranean region is due to several reasons including the influx of nonimmune population into the natural foci of transmission, changes in ecology of vectors and reservoir hosts, reduction in the use of residual insecticides for the control of mosquito populations, improvements in the diagnostic methods, and reporting of

Human VL has long been considered a disease of young children but epidemiology of the disease after 1975 has changed with the increase of incidence in adults. This correlated to the emergence of HIV. However, in the last decade, numbers of VL infections in adults in many EU countries decreased. This can be attributed, among other measures, also to the use of a

We are observing also changes of epidemiology of canine leishmaniasis (CanL). While foci of CanL including insecticide nontreated dogs of predisposed breeds traditionally were settled in the coastal districts, recent studies show that there are various risk factors for CanL, such as age 2 years or more, sleeping mostly outdoors, season of sampling (spring to autumn), and geographical origin [7, 8]. Today, leishmaniasis is endemic in all the countries of Southern Europe, with an incidence rate of 0.21 per 100,000 inhabitants and more than 750 autochtho‐ nous human cases reported each year [6, 9]. In the Mediterranean region, leishmaniasis is generally associated with *Leishmania infantum*, but other species autochthonous in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, such as *L. donovani* and *L. tropica*, may colonize European Phleboto‐

are without doubt the most diverse of all vector‐borne diseases.

4 The Epidemiology and Ecology of Leishmaniasis

novel, highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) [6].

positive cases.

mine fly vectors as well.

Data on CanL cases in Slovenia were collected via mail with a short and simple questionnaire that whether veterinarians had ever registered a CanL case that was born in Slovenia and that had never traveled outside the country. Mail was sent through the official mailing of Slovenian Veterinary Chamber in December 2015 and January 2016 to all veterinarians dealing with small animal practice.

Data on human cases in Slovenia were collected through the SURVIVAL program for official surveillance of communicable diseases supported by the Ministry of Health of Republic of Slovenia.

During 2013 and 2015, Phlebotomine flies were collected throughout the period of peak seasonal activity (15/05–31/09) at six sites from two diverse areas of Slovenia, including the coastline as well as the karst region (**Figure 1**).

Outdoors, Phlebotomine flies were collected by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) miniature light traps and sticky papers. CDC traps were operated all night, once per week in animal barns and backyards and a cave. Two traps were set at each collecting site. The insect caught was checked each morning and the trapped flies were sorted and kept either dry or in 70% ethanol. Sticky traps were set in outbuildings, within walls, in tree holes in olive groves, and in the open surrounding phrygana‐type scrubland. The trapped flies were removed with brushes and stored in 70% ethanol. Indoor collection of Phlebotomine flies was carried out using mouth and electric aspirators. The collected flies were mounted on permanent microscope slides for species identification, which was carried out according to keys by [14, 15].

**Figure 1.** Map of the study area. **(a)** Veterinary clinic in Spodnji Duplek, **(b)** Kočevje, place of the first autochthonous case of canine leishmaniasis in Slovenia, **(c)** Slovenian littoral, and **(d)** Phlebotomine flies collection sites.
