Trends and evolution of research on Phlebotomus argentipes, a potential vector of visceral leishmaniasis

Abstract

Neglected tropical disease, visceral leishmaniasis is a significant health issue globally, caused by Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite, transmitted by an insect vector sandfly Phlebotomus ( P.) argentipes. Understanding the disease transmission dynamics is crucial, with P. argentipes being the primary vector in the Indian subcontinent. The study utilized citation network analysis (CNA) to investigate the scientific literature on the sandfly species P. argentipes, focusing on the distribution of publications over the past 80 years. A total of 2 601 publications were initially retrieved, refined through manual screening to 400 relevant articles published by 1 209 authors in 150 journals in the last eight decades. Data included publication details, such as association of authors, citations, journals, and affiliations. CNA involved the use of VOSviewer software for creating bibliographic networks, visualizing and analyzing citation networks. Core publications highlighted key research areas, including vector control, taxonomy, genetics, and epidemiology. Collaboration across countries and disciplines was evident, emphasizing the global effort to combat visceral leishmaniasis. By analyzing extensive publication data, CNA revealed key research clusters and the most cited works, showing that research into visceral leishmaniasis transmission and vector control has intensified since the 2000s, with significant contributions from India which is highly endemic for visceral leishmaniasis followed by USA, and the UK.

Keywords

Citation network analysis / Kala-Azar / Leishmania donovani / Phlebotomus argentipes / Sandfly / Visceral leishmaniasis

Conflict of interest statement

The authors claim there is no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Director, ICMR-RMRIMS Patna and RIO for providing plagiarism check facility and approval the manuscript for publication.

Funding

The study receives no extramural funding.

Data availability statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Authors’ contributions

Sharma YP conceptualized, interpreted, and analyzed the data, and developed the graphics. Sindhania A curated and analyzed the data. Kumar A and Kumar A contributed to writing and reviewing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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