American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is widely distributed in Latin America. In Brazil, the disease is regarded as an emerging infection and the prevalence of ACL is increasing as a result of the deforestation that occurs for the exploitation of natural resources, the expansion of agriculture and the construction of dams and hydroelectric projects. Within Brazil, ACL may present in a classic epidemiological pattern or as an epidemic surge associated with these activities (Lainson 1988, Rangel 1995, Rangel & Lainson 2003, MS 2006. In an attempt to analyze the spatial distribution of the disease within Brazil, the National Leishmaniases Program of the Health Ministry has been analyzing disease circuit of ACL by associating the occurrence of human cases with specific socio-environmental variables (MS 2006).Within this context, Amazonia has been identified as having an epidemiological circuit of rural and occupational variables that are associated with the destruction of forest. Within this region, the state of Acre has reported a large number of mucosal leishmaniasis cases. As reported by the Health Secretary of the state of Acre, the majority of patients were male (72%) and over 10

In Vargem Grande, an endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis in State of Rio de Janeiro, where Lutzomyia intermedia had been found infected with Leishmania braziliensis, we performed a series of captures of sandflies to increase the knowledge on their behaviour. The following species were found among 8,671 sandflies collected: L. intermedia, L. migonei, L. longipalpis, L. lanei, L. fischeri, L. firmatoi, L. monticola, L. schreiberi, L. whitmani, L. pelloni, L. barrettoi e L. (Pi) sp. Inside houses and outdoors close to the houses, on human bait and in light traps, the predominant species was L. intermedia, followed by L. migonei, both being more numerous between 9 and 11 p.m. than from 6 to 8 p.m. In a plantation, L. migonei was predominant. In simultaneous captures on man and dog as baits, L. intermedia was more frequent on the former, L. migonei on the latter.

Key words: Lutzomyia umbratilis -Leishmania braziliensis -Phlebotominae -Mato Grosso -Brazil Environmental alterations in different regions of Brazil have been modifying the epidemiological profile of leishmaniasis for some decades. These changes have created high-risk areas for Leishmania infection (Lainson 1988, 1989, Walsh et al. 1993, Rangel 1995.The migration movements toward the Amazon Region that have taken place in the last three decades have been directly or indirectly supported by the Federal Government through colonization projects and road construction. Those migratory currents have produced considerable alterations in the environment and they have given rise to haphazard colonization models. Such environmental changes and new associations between man and nature have created new focuses of human disease: malaria and, especially of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Peixoto de Azevedo country, in the north of the State of Mato Grosso, is an area where such a chain of events has been recorded.The region was covered by primitive forest 25 years ago, but now there are over 100,000 inhabitants in the area, and their main interests have been agriculture and mining. These two activities account for the regions thriving economy followed by wood extraction and cattle raising. The economic development of the region has contributed to the changing in the environment and has brought the population into contact with vector sand flies and could explain the increase in the number of cases of (T Pereira, pers. commun.).This study aims to contribute to present knowledge on phlebotomine sand fly ecology the in the Central-West Region of Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODSArea studied -Peixoto de Azevedo, a large country covering an area of 14,383 km 2 is located 661 km from Cuiabá, in the north of the State of Mato Grosso, at latitude 10 o 13'23"S and longitude 54 o 58'47"W (Fig. 1). The weather is hot and humid, with three dry months (equatorial climate), with an average yearly temperature of 26 o C, and annual rainfall ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 mm. The relief of the area presents a complex base made up of southern Amazon Plateau Residuals. Those plateaus, that interfluves with slopes at heights above 400 m are included in the Peripheral Amazon Basin, which also features mountain ridges carved in volcanic, sub-volcanic and metamorphic Precambrian rocks. The local vegetation is composed by an ecologically tense region, a small spot where two different vegetation types occur (Ama- zon Forest and savanna) (IBGE 1996). This region has been influenciated by human modifications (anthropic action). The local economy now is based on agricultural production (rice, corn, beans), cattle raising, timber extraction (cinnamon, jatobá and cedar), and lately, in less proportion on gold prospecting.Sand fly collections -In order to establish the two collection sites, some captures with Shannon trap were done. The station Beira-Rio Farm was approximately 22 km apart from station BR-080 (primary Forest). Sand fly collections were carried out mo...

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The municipality of Ilhéus, State of Bahia, has a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis where entomological studies were carried out to determine the sand fly species and their habits.