Zika virus, already widely distributed in Africa and Asia, was recently reported in two Northeastern Brazilian: State of Bahia and State of Rio Grande do Norte, and one Southeastern: State of São Paulo. This fi nding adds a potentially noxious virus to a list of several other viruses that are widely transmitted by Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti and Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus in Brazil. The pathology and epidemiology, including the distribution and vectors associated with Zika virus, are reviewed. This review is focused on viruses transmitted by Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes, including dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, Mayaro, and yellow fever virus, to emphasize the risks of occurrence for these arboviruses in Brazil and neighboring countries. Other species of Aedes (Stegomyia) are discussed, emphasizing their involvement in arbovirus transmission and the possibility of adaptation to environments modifi ed by human activities and introduction in Brazil.

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-Natural environmental changes or those resulting from anthropic factors and their impact on infectious diseases have been evaluated in several studies. The objective of this work was to analyze the correlation between the anthropic environment, phlebotomine and leishmaniases in Rio Grande do Norte State, in Northeast Brazil. Information relative to the distribution of vector species in visceral and tegumentary leishmaniasis areas was associated to the record of cases notifi ed by Public Health organs. The analysis suggests associations between the vector species and distribution of the disease with demographic and physionomic characteristics, disorderly growth in the metropolitan area, living conditions and environmental degradation of the Eastern Littoral, the principal area of notifi ed visceral leishmaniasis cases.KEY WORDS: Sand fl y, public health RESUMO -As alterações ambientais, naturais ou resultantes de ações antrópicas e seu impacto sobre as doenças infecciosas têm sido avaliados em diversos estudos. Com o objetivo de analisar possíveis correlações entre o ambiente antrópico, fl ebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae) e leishmanioses no Rio Grande do Norte, Nordeste do Brasil, foram associadas informações relativas à distribuição de espécies vetoras em áreas de leishmaniose visceral e tegumentar ao registro de casos notifi cados pelos órgãos de saúde pública. A análise aponta para a existência de associações entre as espécies vetoras e distribuição da doença com características demográfi cas, fi sionômicas, crescimento desordenado da área metropolitana, condições de vida e degradação ambiental do Litoral Oriental, principal área de notifi cação de casos de leishmaniose visceral. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Inseto vetor, saúde públicaNos últimos dez anos, as alterações ambientais, climáticas ou resultantes de ações antrópicas, e possíveis refl exos na distribuição de doenças tropicais têm sido analisados por diversos autores (Ambroise- Thomas 2000, Curtis et al. 2000, Patz et al. 2000, Petney 2001, Molineux 2006. As mudanças globais e a avaliação do impacto sobre a saúde humana têm sido foco de atenção em comitês e órgãos internacionais que analisam o sistema climático terrestre e as repercussões para a saúde humana (WHO 1995).Destruição de habitats, mudanças no padrão demográfi co das cidades, costumes, nível sócio-econômico, qualidade dos serviços de saúde, educação etc. isoladamente ou em associação, aproximam hospedeiros defi nitivos e intermediários, vetores e parasitos e determinam mudanças nos níveis endêmico ou epidêmico de doenças infecciosas (Ambroise- Thomas et al. 2000, Curtis et al. 2000, Patz et al. 2000.A manutenção de uma endemia em determinada área, particularmente aquelas transmitidas por vetores, depende da presença de populações de espécies envolvidas na cadeia de transmissão (agentes etiológicos, reservatórios e vetores) e condições ambientais favoráveis ao seu desenvolvimento. Tais condições são naturalmente encontradas, como podem ser propiciadas pelas alterações causadas pelo homem, lev...

The resurgence of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil increases the need for studies to elucidate the spatial and temporal dynamics of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz and Neiva) (Diptera: Psychodidae), the vector of Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil. Sand flies were captured in peridomestic habitats biweekly for 3 yr. Cross-correlation tests and spectral analysis were used to analyze the simultaneous and lag-time correlations between Lu. longipalpis population densities and abiotic factors of temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, and rainfall. Distinct seasonal patterns were observed for males and females, with intervals of 6 mo between population peaks for males and 12 mo for females. Peak female population densities lagged 3 mo behind the maximum annual temperature. Female population density was negatively correlated with relative humidity. An increase in average wind velocity was followed by a decrease in the number of females for 2 wk. Understanding the relationship between the seasonal population dynamics of Lu. longipalpis and abiotic factors will contribute to the design of better control measures to decrease transmission of L. infantum and consequently the incidence of leishmaniasis.

Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil, is spread mostly by the bite of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva). We trapped sand flies in endemic neighborhoods near Natal, Brazil, where cases of human and dog VL were documented. Amplification of species-specific cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes by polymerase chain reaction revealed that sand flies from rural and periurban areas harbored blood from different sources. The most common source of bloodmeal was human, but blood from dog, chicken, and armadillo was also present. We tested the preference for a source of bloodmeal experimentally by feeding L. longipalpis F1 with blood from different animals. There were significant differences between the proportion of flies engorged and number of eggs laid among flies fed on different sources, varying from 8.4 to 19 (P < 0.0001). Blood from guinea pig or horse was best to support sand fly oviposition, but human blood also supported sand fly oviposition well. No sand flies fed on cats, and sand flies feeding on the opossum Monodelphis domestica Wagner produced no eggs. These data support the hypothesis that L. longipalpis is an eclectic feeder, and humans are an important source of blood for this sand fly species in periurban areas of Brazil.

Phlebotomine vectors transmit parasites and can cause visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or cutaneous leishmaniasis (TL). Phlebotomine females are hematophagous but need to ingest carbohydrates, possibly promoting the development of protozoan parasites in their digestive tract. The present study evaluated the species composition and abundance across several habitats in a metropolitan landscape, as well as associations among phlebotomines, plants, and local climatic parameters. Three consecutive monthly collections were carried out in an Atlantic Forest fragment, using CDC light traps in peridomestic areas and cashew, coconut, and mango tree.plantations. Eight species of phlebotomine were captured: Evandromyia evandroi, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Psathyromyia shannoni, Sciopemyia sordellii, Evandromyia walkeri, Psychodopygus wellcomei, Nyssomyia whitmani, and Nyssomyia intermedia, primarily from the forest environment. L. longipalpis was confirmed as a species adapted to anthropic environments, while P. wellcomei was shown to be predominately forest-dwelling. Phlebotomines exhibited diversified food consumption patterns in relation to carbohydrate sources. They fed on both native and exotic species of arboreal and shrubby vegetables and gramineous plants. Journal of Vector Ecology 38 (2): 307-316. 2013.

Introduction: Haemagogus are mosquitoes with diurnal habits that live preferentially in forest areas. In Brazil, they are considered the primary vectors of wild yellow fever. Methods: The ecological relationships between Haemagogus spegazzinii, the environment, and some of its activities in the semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte were analyzed by collecting eggs with ovitraps, actively searching in tree holes, capturing adults in Shannon traps, and conducting an investigation for viral infections. Results: A total of 2420 eggs, 271 immature specimens (larvae and pupae), and 206 adults were collected. Egg collection depended on rainfall and relative humidity, with oviposition occurring between January and May. Larvae were found in five plant species, including Tabebuia aurea (craibeira), with 160 larvae collected. We observed shared breeding sites between Hg. spegazzinii and the following species: Aedes albopictus, Aedes terrens, Culex spp., and Toxorhynchites theobaldi. Adults exhibited greater activity between 5 pm and 6 pm, when 191 (92.7%) specimens were captured, while only 1 (0.5%) was collected between 7 pm and 8 pm. The relationship between Hg. spegazzinii and rainfall was significant, with positive correlations with accumulated rainfall 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 days before mosquito collection. We found that the species was infected with the DENV-2 virus. Conclusions: This work contributes new information on the bioecology of Hg. spegazzinii, with data on the main reproduction periods, oviposition, breeding sites, activity times, and the relationship between the species and meteorological variables in the Caatinga of northeastern Brazil.

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