Diagnóstico molecular da taxa de infecção natural de flebotomíneos (Psychodidae, Lutzomyia) por Leishmania sp na Amazônia maranhense

Abstract

RESUMOA taxa de infecção natural de três diferentes espécies de flebotomíneos por Leishmania foi estudada usando a técnica de reação em cadeia da polimerase. Primers específicos para Leishmania foram designados para examinar se os pools de flebotomíneos estavam infectadas. Um total de 1.100 fêmeas separadas em pools de 10 indivíduos foram examinados, consistindo de 50 Lutzomyia whitmani, 43 Lutzomyia triacantha e 17 Lutzomyia choti. De todos os pools analisados, 4 de Lutzomyia whitmani estavam positivos, mas nenhum pool das duas espécies restantes estava infectado. Deste modo, uma taxa de infecção de 0,4% foi verificada neste estudo. Esta taxa de infecção associada a estudos anteriores sugere que Lutzomyia whitmani transmite Leishmania aos mamíferos em Buriticupu, Maranhão. Palavras-chaves: Biologia molecular. Flebotomíneos. Leishmania. Lutzomyia whitmani. ABSTRACTThe natural infection rate due to Leishmania was studied in three different sandfly species using the polymerase chain reaction technique. Leishmania specific primers were designed to examine whether sandfly pools were infected. In total 1,100 female sandflies separated into pools of 10 individuals, consisting of 50 pools of Lutzomyia whitmani, 43 of Lutzomyia triacantha and 17 of Lutzomyia choti, were analyzed. Among all the pools examined, four pools of Lutzomyia whitmani were positive, but none of the pools of the other two species were infected. Thus, a total infection rate of 0.4% was established in this study. A similar infection rate was found in previous studies, suggesting that Lutzomyia whitmani transmits Leishmania to mammals in Buriticupu, Maranhão.

Distribuição de Lutzomyia whitmani em fitorregiões do estado do Maranhão, Brasil

“…inhabits both wild environments and rural peridomestic areas, and it has been found to be naturally infected with Leishmania. 3 A similar behavioral pattern is observed in the northeastern part of the state. It is therefore pertinent to investigate whether the distribution pattern of this taxon has modified the epidemiological profile of TL transmission in Maranhão.…”

Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a cerrado area of the Maranhão state, Brazil

“…whitmani in the peridomiciliary area shows that this species is highly adapted to human conditions, a fact already noted in other regions of Maranhão (Rebêlo et al 1999a,b, Martin & Rebêlo 2006, Leonardo & Rebêlo 2004). This vector has previously been found naturally infected with Leishmania species from the braziliensis complex, which is involved in the cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission in Maranhão (Oliveira-Pereira et al 2006), and in other Brazilian areas as well (Rangel & Lainson 2003, Costa et al 2007.…”

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) in an American tegumentary leishmaniasis transmission area in northern Espírito Santo State, Brazil

“…choti is the only one of the three most abundant sand fly species that is not a suspected Leishmania vector, since it has not been recorded in the principal ATL-endemic areas of Espírito Santo. Furthermore, there are no reports of this species' natural infection with the parasite 18 . However, Brandão-Filho et al 19 suggested that Lu.…”