I've not heard of this..but did some research for you. Hope it helps:
The major health importance of
sand flies is their capability of transmitting the zoonotic protozoan
Leishmania group. Worldwide,
leishmaniosis is one of the most important vector-borne diseases (besides malaria, lymphatic filariosis and sleeping sickness) and presents as a large variety of disease manifestations differing markedly in their severity and health impact.
Besides, sand flies are also known transmitters of the bacteria
Bartonella baciliformis, the infectious agent of the Oroya fever, and of the sand fly fever virus that lead to Pappataci fever or sand fly fever. Pappataci fever is a human disease in the Mediterranean basin, in Middle Asia up to India and in South America
The veterinary and medical importance of
sand fliesis determined by their ability to transmit viral, bacterial and protozoal diseases. Among sand fly-transmitted diseases, the most relevant is leishmaniosis, affecting animals and humans. Worldwide, leishmaniosis is the third most important vector-borne disease and present as a large variety of disease manifestations differing markedly in their severity and health impact.
The causative agents of canine leishmaniosis are
Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East and
L. chagasi in South and Central America. Initially,
L. chagasi was considered to be distinct from
L. infantum, however, recent molecular studies indicate that they are indistinguishable.
Leishmaniosis is a chronic disease with an incubation period of months to years. Once a dog got ill, the parasites will never been completely eliminated. If the disease becomes patent, progression is usually rapid and death may occurs within a few weeks to months. There is a wide variety of signs in dogs, including skin lesions (alopecia, scaling and ulceration), weight loss or poor appetite, ocular lesions, nosebleed, lameness, anaemia, renal failure and diarrhea.
Sandfly 
Linear Mode
