Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Governador Valadares, a transmission area for American tegumentary leishmaniasis in State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: A study on the phlebotomine sandfly fauna was carried out in an endemic area for American tegumentary leishmaniasis in the municipality of Governador Valadares, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: Captures were undertaken using HP light traps in four districts, on three nights per month, for one year (from January to December 2008). Correlations between climatic factors (temperature, relative air humidity and rainfall) and the numbers of sandflies collected was observed. Results: 5,413 phlebotomine specimens were caught and were identified as belonging to 12 species. Of these specimens, 2,851 (52%) were females and 2,562 (48%) were males. Conclusions: Lutzomyia intermedia predominated (29.9% of the species caught), thus suggesting that they were responsible for transmission of American tegumentary leishmaniasis, together with L. whitmani, which was also found in the area (4.3%). The presence of L. longipalpis (11.9%), the main vector for visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil, is an important finding, which makes rigorous entomological surveillance of the area necessary.

Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from caves of the quartzite Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…In contrast, a decrease in the density of these insects was found during the coldest and driest months. This pattern of seasonality has also been reported in most of the studies on sandflies in the endemic areas for leishmaniasis in MG (Barata et al 2004(Barata et al , 2011.…”

Rattus norvegicus(Rodentia: Muridae) Infected byLeishmania(Leishmania)infantum(syn.Le. chagasi) in Brazil

“…intermedia reached about 50% of all female sand flies. This finding is in accordance with another entomological survey also performed in Governador Valadares [16]. Although we did not identify DNA from any Leishmania species involved in ACL transmission in Lu.…”

“…The primary vector of VL in Brazil, Lu. longipalpis , was also found, and its presence has also been observed before in the same municipality [16]. DNA from Le.…”

Temporal Dynamics and Impact of Climate Factors on the Incidence of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Central Tunisia

“…In fact, rodents benefit from vegetation growth when rainfall is plentiful, but are severely reduced by flooding [46] which might explain the negative association between rainfall above the 37.34 mm and ZCL incidence. On the other hand, the humidity in the summer and autumn enhances transmission by increasing vector density during the same season [47]–[48], a key element in the force of infection through vector capacity, which is analogous to the contact rate in directly-transmitted diseases. Temperature and ZCL incidence were not associated in our model, because most of its effect has been accounted for humidity and rainfall.…”