Even so, control is no picnic. The potentially deadly bites probably occur inside or near houses. And we don't know where sand flies breed, or their range of travel. To overcome those disadvantages, Maguire and his crew map the city and its surroundings using images taken by U.S., Russian, and French satellites. Neighborhood maps then are combined with information on the type of vegetation, number of infections found, the quality of houses, and socioeconomic conditions.
Satellite images turn out to be easier and cheaper to get than aerial photos.
Images from Soviet spy satellites make it possible to identify objects as small as a truck or bus. Squatter communities of closely packed, poorly constructed houses, located near a forested corridor or an area of dense trees and shrubs, offer an extremely high risk of leishmaniasis. A similar density of better-built houses, where vegetation is cut back and maintained, substantially decreases the risk. Leaf litter is the most likely breeding place for the sand flies. SPH researchers are giving such information to authorities in northeastern Brazil charged with fighting leishmaniasis.