Leishmania infection and blood food sources of phlebotomines in an area of Brazil endemic for visceral and tegumentary leishmaniasis

Abstract

The aims of the study were to determine the blood feeding preferences of sandflies and to identify species of Leishmania that infected phlebotomines in Caxias, Maranhão, Brazil, an area that is highly endemic for leishmaniasis. Sandflies were captured in light traps located in the peridomiciliary environments of randomly selected houses in urban and rural settings between 1800 and 0600 hours on new moon days between March 2013 and February 2015. DNA extracts from 982 engorged female sandflies were submitted to fragment length polymorphism analysis to identify infecting species of Leishmania, and blood sources were identified for 778 of these specimens. Infection by Leishmania infantum was detected in Lutzomyia longipalpis, Lu. whitmani and Lu. termitophila; L. infantum/L. braziliensis in Lu. longipalpis, Lu. whitmani and Lu. trinidadensis; L. shawi in Lu. longipalpis; L. mexicana in Lu. longipalpis; L. braziliensis in Lu. longipalpis and Lu. whitmani; L. guyanensis in Lu. longipalpis and Lu. termitophila; L. amazonensis in Lu. longipalpis and L. lainsoni or L. naiffi in Lu. longipalpis, while Lu. longipalpis and Lu. trinidadensis were infected with unidentified Leishmania sp. Blood sources were identified in 573 individual phlebotomines and the preferred hosts were, in decreasing order, chicken, dog, rodent and human with lower preferences for pig, horse, opossum and cattle. Lu. longipalpis and Lu. whitmani performed mixed feeding on man, dog and rodent, while Lu. longipalpis was the most opportunistic species, feeding on the blood of all hosts surveyed, but preferably on dog/chicken, dog/rodent and rodent/chicken. Our findings reveal the concomitant circulation of Leishmania species that cause visceral leishmaniasis and tegumentary leishmaniasis in the study area, and explain the occurrence of autochthonous human cases of both clinical forms of leishmaniasis in Caxias, Maranhão. The results support our hypothesis that, in the municipality of Caxias, transmission of Leishmania occurs in close proximity to humans.

Complex ecological interactions across a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Eastern Colombia: novel description of Leishmania species, hosts and phlebotomine fauna

“…This is similar to the results of some studies in Old World settings that found frequencies of between 0.3% to 7.0% in females that had both fed and not fed [ 44 , 45 ]. Our result is in concordance with the findings of several previous studies of vectors in different areas of Brazil where CL is endemic, which described Leishmania frequencies of between 3.4% and 8.1% [ 42 , 46 – 48 ]. In concordance with Souza-Ferreira et al .…”

Effects of forest degradation on the sand fly communities of northeast Brazil

“…Shelters installed without the necessary hygiene and protection are important factors that justify the greater abundance of sand flies in the backyards of houses (Pereira‐Filho et al 2015, Bandeira et al 2017). In these shelters, sand flies were found containing the blood of domestic animals, including dogs, pigs, horses, chickens, and synanthropic rodents and marsupials (Dias et al 2003, Oliveira‐Pereira et al 2008, Fonteles et al 2009, Guimarães‐e‐Silva et al 2017, Pereira‐Filho et al 2018, Fonteles et al 2018). However, the peri‐domicile sites where sand flies breed should be studied in detail with specific methodologies, as immatures are not easy to find.…”

“…Studies have shown a great species richness and abundance of sand flies in the peri‐domicile environments of several municipalities in the State of Maranhão (Silva et al 2010, 2012, 2015, Campos et al 2013, Rebêlo et al 2019). Some of these species are infected with different Leishmania species (Guimarães‐e‐Silva et al 2017, Pereira‐Filho et al 2018, Fonteles et al 2018). In these areas, cases of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis have been reported (Martins et al 2004, Costa et al 1998).…”

Molecular detection of Leishmania spp. in cattle from Brazil by means of PCR using internal transcribed spacer 1

“…Although cattle were found to provide only 0.6% of the blood source for Lutzomyia sp. in a rural area in Maranhão, Brazil, it was noted that this was nonetheless a valid blood source, thus providing a reminder that sand flies have opportunistic feeding habits (GUIMARÃES-E-SILVA et al, 2017). On the other hand, a study in Ethiopia showed that cattle were the second most preferred host of Phlebotomus orientalis (GEBRESILASSIE et al, 2015).…”