Studies on the sand fly fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) in high-transmission areas of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Republic of Suriname

Abstract

BackgroundSand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are the vectors of Leishmania parasites, the causative agents of leishmaniasis. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an increasing public health problem in the Republic of Suriname and is mainly caused by Leishmania (Vianna) guyanensis, but L. (V.) braziliensis, L. (L.) amazonensis, and L. (V.) naiffi also infect humans. Transmission occurs predominantly in the forested hinterland of the country. Information regarding the potential vectors of leishmaniasis in Suriname is limited. This study aims to broaden the knowledge about vectors involved in the transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Suriname. For this purpose, sand flies were characterized in various foci of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the country, the districts of Para, Brokopondo, and Sipaliwini.MethodsSand flies were collected in areas around mining plots and villages using CDC light traps in the period between February 2011 and March 2013. They were categorized by examination of the spermathecea (females) and the external genitalia (males).ResultsA total of 2,743 sand fly specimens belonging to 34 different species were captured, including four species (Lutzomyia aragaoi, Lu. ayrozai, Lu. damascenoi, and Lu. sordellii) that had never before been described for Suriname. Five percent of the catch comprised Lu. squamiventris sensu lato, one female of which was positive with L. (V.) braziliensis and was captured in a gold mining area in Brokopondo. Other sand fly species found positive for Leishmania parasites were Lu. trichopyga, Lu. ininii, and Lu. umbratilis, comprising 32, 8, and 4%, respectively, of the catch. These were captured at gold mining areas in Brokopondo and Sipaliwini, but the Leishmania parasites they had ingested could not be identified due to insufficient amounts of DNA.ConclusionsThe sand fly fauna in Suriname is highly diverse and comprises Lutzomyia species capable of transmitting Leishmania parasites. Four new Lutzomyia species have been found, and four species - Lu. squamiventris (s.l.), Lu. trichopyga, Lu. ininii, and Lu. umbratilis - have been found to harbor Leishmania parasites. The latter were among the most abundant species captured. These observations may contribute to the understanding of leishmaniasis transmission and the development of control programs in Suriname.

Monitoring the response of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis to treatment with pentamidine isethionate by quantitative real-time PCR, and identification ofLeishmaniaparasites not responding to therapy

“…( V .) braziliensis , confirm this supposition. These observations are of concern, as infection with L .…”

Phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a Hydroelectric System Affected Area from Northern Amazonian Brazil: Further Insights into the Effects of Environmental Changes on Vector Ecology

“…naiffi along the same northern bank of the Amazon River through studies in Cachoeira Porteira (PA); Fouque et al [38] came to the same conclusions in French Guiana. Interestingly, this fly species complex was found alongside L. ( V. ) braziliensis DNA in Suriname [45], an area where the known Amazonian vectors of this parasite, Ps. complexus and Ps.…”

Distribution, species composition and relative abundances of sandflies in North Waziristan Agency, Pakistan

“…Despite a natural sex ratio of almost 1 : 1 in sandfly species (Killick‐Kendrick, ), more males than females were captured during the present study. Similarly, more males were recorded from different parts of Iran (Emami & Yazdi, ; Kassiri & Javadian, ; Kent et al , ; Sayyadi et al , ) and from Uttar Pradesh in India (Singh & Sing, ). The differences in ratios of males to females may reflect the male endophilic and female exophilic behaviour of sandfly species in nature (Killick‐Kendrick, ) as the present study involved only the indoor collection of sandflies by insecticide spraying in rooms.…”