Diversity, natural infection and blood meal sources of phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera, Psychodidae) in the western Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

BACKGROUND The state of Rondônia (RO) is a hot spot for human cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Many sandfly species in RO are putative vectors of leishmaniasis. OBJECTIVES This study examines the diversity patterns and the presence of Leishmania DNA and blood meal sources of sandflies in RO. METHODS A sandfly survey was performed between 2016 and 2018 in 10 municipalities categorised into three different environment types: (i) Conservation Unit (CUN)-comprised of preserved ombrophilous forests; (ii) Forest Edge (FE)-small forest fragments; and (iii) Peridomicile (PE)-areas around dwellings. FINDINGS A total of 73 species were identified from 9,535 sandflies. The most abundant species were Psychodopygus davisi (1,741 individuals), Nyssomyia antunesi (1,397), Trichophoromyia auraensis (1,295) and Trichophoromyia ubiquitalis (1,043). Diversity was the highest in CUN, followed by the FE and PE environments. One pool of Ps. davisi tested positive for Leishmania braziliensis, reinforcing the possibility that Ps. davisi acts as a vector. The cytochrome b (cytb) sequences were used to identify three blood meal sources: Bos taurus, Homo sapiens and Tamandua tetradactyla. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrated that sandflies can switch between blood meal sources in differing environments. This study enhances the knowledge of the vector life cycle in RO and provides information relevant to leishmaniasis surveillance.

Identification of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and blood meal sources in periurban areas of Ji-Paraná municipality, Western Brazilian Amazon

“…In Rondônia, Ps. davisi generally occurs in high abundance (Gil et al, 2003;Pereira Júnior et al, 2019). Specimens of both species have been found carrying Leishmania naiffi promastigotes (Gil et al, 2003); however, none of the 80 pools in our study exhibited the presence of Leishmania DNA.…”

“…In order to screen for the presence of Leishmania DNA, the thoraxes of non-engorged females were separated into pools and subjected to polymerase chain reaction assays using primers targeting kDNA (Pereira Júnior et al, 2019). The Le.…”

“…Extracted DNA was subjected to PCR assays targeting the cytb mitochondrial region (Pereira Júnior et al, 2019).…”

Leishmania infection and blood sources analysis in Phlebotomus chinensis (Diptera: Psychodidae) along extension region of the loess plateau, China

“…Blood meal identification is important evidence for the determination of the host preferences of hematophagous arthropods. Detection of Leishmania infection in sand flies and animal hosts could provide critical information to estimate the vector competence and assess the epidemic risk of VL in the endemic areas [14,15]. However, there was no report on Leishmania infection and blood source animals of sand flies in the extension region of Loess Plateau.…”

Investigation of Leishmania infection and blood sources analysis in Phlebotomus chinensis (Diptera: Psychodidae) along extension region of the Loess Plateau, China

“…Blood meal identi cation is important evidence for the determination of the host preferences of hematophagous arthropods. Detection of Leishmania infection in sand ies and animal hosts could provide critical information to estimate the vector competence and assess the epidemic risk of VL in the endemic areas [14,15]. However, there was no report on Leishmania infection and blood source animals of sand ies in the extension region of Loess Plateau.…”