{
  "id": 13852060,
  "title": "Gut bacterium of Leishmania donovani-non-transmitting sand fly induces IL-23~Th17 axis to protect hosts from drug-resistant visceral leishmaniasis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/gut-bacterium-of-leishmania-donovani-non-transmitting-sand-fly",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-11T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.04.756455v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by the Leishmania donovani parasite, is a deadly disease prevalent in India. The transmission of VL is closely associated with Leishmania donovani-transmitting sand flies, such as Phlebotomus argentipes, which differ from the non-transmitting Sergentomyia species. A recent study has identified a unique population of anthropophilic Sergentomyia babu babu, a sand fly species that has never been known to transmit VL but is abundant in VL-non-endemic regions. This sand fly species, when harboring specific gut bacteria, can induce a protective immune response in humans, preventing the establishment of the parasite and subsequent disease progression. The study reveals that a heat-inactivated formulation of Heyndrickxia sporothermodurans, isolated from these anthropophilic Sergentomyia babu babu, can prevent and cure L. donovani infection by activating the IL-23~Th17 axis. This immune response also enhances phagocytosis, reactive oxygen species production, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-) in monocytes, reducing the risk of VL infection. This discovery marks the first time gut bacteria from non-transmitting sand flies have been linked to VL protection, suggesting potential avenues for developing therapeutics and prophylactics against VL. Further clinical trials are required to validate these findings and potentially lead to new treatment options for this devastating disease.",
  "summary": "Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by Leishmania donovani and differentiates under the influence of biotope-specific gut bacteria in the Leishmania donovani-transmitting sand fly vector, Phlebotomus argentipes, which coexists with the Leishmania donovani-non-transmitting Sergentomyia species in the Indian subcontinent. Hypothesis: Sergentomyia are primarily herpetophilic.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}