Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and Leishmania Infection in Gafanhoto Park, Divinópolis, Brazil

Abstract

The potential of Gafanhoto Park as an American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) focus was evaluated by examination of sand ßy vectors of the Leishmania parasite. This forest remnant is located in a periurban area of Divinó polis, Brazil, where autochthonous cases of ACL have been reported. Sand ßy populations were monitored over a 2-yr period (2006 Ð2008) by using light traps (HP and Shannon). During systematic collections with HP traps, 824 specimens in total (342 males and 482 females) of 21 species were captured. Most prevalent species were as follows: Brumptomyia brumpti (Larrouse), Lutzomyia aragaoi (Costa Lima), Lutzomyia lutziana (Costa Lima), Lutzomyia sordellii (Shannon & Del Ponte), and Lutzomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho). Using Shannon traps, 257 specimens representing 15 species were collected (159 females and 98 males), with a high prevalence of L. whitmani and Lutzomyia neivai (Pinto), both vectors of Leishmania braziliensis (Vianna). To ascertain the level of natural infection, a sample of females captured in Shannon traps was assayed for the presence of Leishmania by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, where 39% of insects were positive. The most infected species was L. whitmani (29 sand ßies; 18.2%), followed by L. neivai (21; 13.2%), Lutzomyia christenseni (Young & Duncan) (Þve; 3.1%), Lutzomyia pessoai (Coutinho & Barreto) (three; 1.9%), L. aragaoi (one; 0.6%), Lutzomyia fischeri (Pinto) (one; 0.6%), Lutzomyia lenti (Mangabeira) (one; 0.6%), L. lutziana (one; 0.6%), and Lutzomyia monticula (Costa Lima) (one; 0.6%). The Þnding of potential and incriminated vectors naturally infected with Leishmania reinforces the need of epidemiologic surveillance in the area.

Fauna of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) in areas with endemic American cutaneous leishmaniasis in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

“…Brumptomyia brumpti (Larrouse, 1920), Psathyromyia campograndensis (Oliveira, Andrade Filho, Falcão & Brazil, 2001), Sciopemyia sordellii (Shan-Fauna of phlebotomine sand flies in areas with endemic American cutaneous leishmaniasis non & Del Pont, 1927), all with 6.0%, and Psathyromyia punctigeniculata, with 4.8%, presented distinct frequencies from the other species, which together accounted for 10.9% of the species captured (Table III). Evandromyia lenti was found naturally infected with Leishmania braziliensis in Minas Gerais (Margonari et al 2010), andSherlock (1996) suggests that this species may be involved in the transmission of canine visceral leishmaniasis in the State of Bahia.…”

Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in rural and urban environments in an endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis in southern Brazil

“…Pi. fischeri naturally infected with Leishmania braziliensis has only recently been found in the Southeast Region of Brazil (Margonari et al 2010, Rocha et al 2010, but the other species have all been found naturally infected by Leishmania (Viannia) sp. in PR and in other areas of South America (de Queiroz et al 1994, da Silva & Grunewald 1999, Luz et al 2000, Pita-Pereira et al 2005, 2009 residence of an American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) case; 2.1: tree close to the veranda of home; 2.2: peridomicile, avocado tree used as a perch for birds; 2.3: peridomicile, tree close to pigsty; 3: residence of an ACL case; 3.1: peridomicile in a jaboticaba tree close to the home; 3.2: orange tree close to the pigsty and residence; 3.3: bamboo, distant 10 m from the residence, next to a pasture, a pound and a small forest; 4.1: pigsty close to the residence; 4.2: pigsty situated at the forest edge, 50 m far from the residence; 4.3: forest edge tree (50 m far the point 4.2); F: female; M: male.…”

Biogeographical aspects of the occurrence of Nyssomyia neivai and Nyssomyia intermedia (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a sympatric area of the Brazilian savannah

“…intermedia suggest that it also is associated with Leishmania transmission in this region. Both species have been found to be naturally infected with Leishmania and are associated with ATL foci (Forattini et al 1972, Rangel et al 1984, Casanova et al 1995, Córdoba-Lanus et al 2006, Marcondes et al 2009, Saraiva et al 2009, Pita-Pereira et al 2009, Margonari et al 2010, Oliveira et al 2011, thereby demonstrating the great epidemiological importance of these species. Lutz and Neiva (1912) have reported that Ny.…”