Abstract

Mundinia, the recently established Leishmania subgenus, includes five species, three of which are pathogenic to humans. Although Mundinia represents the oldest branch of the genus Leishmania, most species have escaped the attention of scientists and have only been discovered in the last 20 years. Their transmission ecology is enigmatic, with unknown identity of reservoir hosts and insect vectors. This mini-review summarizes the history of Mundinia discovery and the current knowledge about the reservoirs and vectors with emphasis on the role of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in their transmission.

Keywords: Mundinia; L. macropodum; L. enriettii; L. orientalis; L. martiniquensis; Culicoides sonorensis