Phlebotomine vector ecology was studied in the largest recorded outbreak of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia in 2004. In two rural townships that had experienced contrasting patterns of case incidence, this study evaluated phlebotomine species composition, seasonal abundance, nocturnal activity, blood source, prevalence of Leishmania infection, and species identification. CDC miniature light traps were used to trap the phlebotomines. Traps were set indoors, peridomestically, and in woodlands. Natural infection was determined in pools by polymerase chain reaction–Southern blot, and blood sources and species identification were determined by sequencing. Large differences were observed in population abundance between the two townships evaluated. Lutzomyia longiflocosa was the most abundant species (83.1%). Abundance was higher during months with lower precipitation. Nocturnal activity was associated with human domestic activity. Blood sources identified were mainly human (85%). A high prevalence of infection was found in L. longiflocosa indoors (2.7%) and the peridomestic setting (2.5%). L. longiflocosa was responsible for domestic transmission in Chaparral.

Environmental risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis were investigated for the largest outbreak recorded in Colombia. The outbreak began in 2003 in Chaparral, and in the following five years produced 2,313 cases in a population of 56,228. Candidate predictor variables were land use, elevation, and climatic variables such as mean temperature and precipitation. Spatial analysis showed that incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis was higher in townships with mean temperatures in the middle of the county's range. Incidence was independently associated with higher coverage with forest or shrubs (2.6% greater for each additional percent coverage, 95% credible interval [CI] = 0.5–4.9%), and lower population density (22% lower for each additional 100 persons/km2, 95% CI = 7–41%). The extent of forest or shrub coverage did not show major changes over time. These findings confirmed the roles of climate and land use in leishmaniasis transmission. However, environmental variables were not sufficient to explain the spatial variation in incidence.

Introducción. Trypanosoma rangeli es la segunda especie de tripanosoma que infecta al hombre en América Latina. Se ha observado variabilidad en las características biológicas, bioquímicas y moleculares en diferentes aislamientos de este parásito. Objetivo. Estudiar las características morfológicas y moleculares de cepas de T. rangeli aisladas de diferentes especies de Rhodnius e inoculadas en diferentes especies de vertebrados. Materiales y métodos. Se utilizaron 19 cepas de T. rangeli aisladas de R. prolixus, R. pallescens y R. colombiensis en Colombia, R. ecuadoriensis en Perú y R. pallescens en Panamá. Se evaluó el polimorfismo de los tripomastigotes sanguíneos en ratones ICR y se estudió el pleomorfismo de la cepa P53 de T. rangeli KP1(-) inoculada en ratón, marsupial y canino. Se efectuó análisis de ADN polimorfo amplificado aleatorio en 12 cepas aisladas de cuatro especies de Rhodnius. Resultados. Se observaron tres grupos discretos en la longitud total de los tripomastigotes sanguíneos y la cepa P53 presentó diferencias significativas en el tamaño de los tripomastigotes sanguíneos en ratón, marsupial y canino. El análisis de ADN polimorfo amplificado aleatorio mostró segregación de las cepas en dos ramas correspondientes a las cepas de T. rangeli KP1(+) y T. rangeli KP1(-). De otra parte todos las cepas de T. rangeli KP1(-) se agruparon de acuerdo con las especies de Rhodnius de las cuales fueron aisladas. Conclusión. Este es el primer estudio que revela una estrecha asociación entre cepas de T. rangeli y las especies de Rhodnius, confirmando que cada especie de Rhodnius transmite al hospedero vertebrado poblaciones del parásito con claras diferencias fenotípicas y genotípicas, lo cual soporta la evolución clonal de estas poblaciones.Palabras clave: Trypanosoma, Rhodnius, tripanosomiasis/epidemiología, técnica del ADN polimorfo amplificado aleatorio (RAPD), enfermedad de Chagas. Trypanosoma rangeli parasite-vector-vertebrate interactions and their relationship to the systematics and epidemiology of American trypanosomiasis

A description is presented of Lutzomyia tolimensis sp. nov., a new species of the subgenus Helcocyrtomyia, series sanguinaria. It was collected in dwellings, peridomestic environment and in nearby forest patches located in the foothills of the Andean Central Cordillera, where in 2004–2006 occurred the largest epidemic ever recorded of leishmaniasis in Colombia. The male of this species is differentiated from other members of the series sanguinaria based on the following combination of characters: (i) base of coxite with 0–3 subequal setae, (ii) spines of gonostyle organized in positions 2.1.2, (iii) spines inserted on distal half of gonostyle and (iv) relationship of alar indices. The female is recognized principally by the following characters: (i) palpomere V longer than III, (ii) length of labro-epipharynx and (iii) relationship of the alar indices.