Phlebotomine sandflies and leishmaniasis risks in Colombian coffee plantations under two systems of cultivation

Abstract

The phlebotomine sandfly fauna of traditional (shaded) and intensified (unshaded) coffee plantations in Colombia was sampled by a variety of methods and the species composition and density under the two systems compared. Twenty species of Lutzomyia sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) were collected, of which eight were found only in the 'Coffee Axis' ('Eje Cafetero') of the departments of Caldas, Risaralda and Quindio, six were exclusive to the department of Norte de Santander and six occurred in both regions. Four species were collected only in traditional plantations and two exclusively in intensified ones. At least 13 species occurred in both plantation types. Fifteen species are opportunistic man-biters and eight are suspected vectors of leishmaniasis caused by Le. braziliensis, Le. panamensis or Le. mexicana. Seven species were collected inside houses and may be involved in intradomiciliary transmission of Leishmania. The dominant species in Norte de Santander was Lu. spinicrassa, which made up 93.8% of all the sandflies collected in this department. This species was absent from the Eje Cafetero and a number of others among the 15 recorded there might be responsible for Leishmania transmission in this region, including Lu. trapidoi, Lu. yuilli, Lu. gomezi, L. hartmanni and Lu. ovallesi. Sandfly population densities were significantly higher in traditional plantations than in intensified ones. Residents of traditional plantations were able to describe sandflies in significantly more detail than those of intensified plantations, based on seven basic characteristics related to the appearance and biting behaviour of the insects.

Lista actualizada de flebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) de la región cafetera colombiana

“…Esto es así también para los insectos flebotomíneos (34,35). Precisamente en los departamentos que conforman la Región Andina colombiana se registra el 51,9 % de los casos de leishmaniasis cutánea (en total 4.793 casos, Boletín de notificación obligatoria, 2012; 4.425 casos, Boletín de notificación obligatoria, 2013) (36).…”

“…En países como Colombia, Venezuela, México y Brasil, se presentan condiciones óptimas para dicho cultivo, generalmente en zonas montañosas entre los 1.000 y 2.100 msnm, y los casos de leishmaniasis cutánea usualmente se asocian con los complejos Leishmania braziliensis y L. mexicana, y con las especies. L. guyanensis y L. panamensis (35,39,42,(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51).…”

Primeiro registro de Nyssomyia yuilli yuilli (Young & Porter) e de Trichopygomyia longispina (Mangabeira) (Diptera: Psychodidae) no estado do Espírito Santo, Brasil

“…No Brasil, até o momento, foi encontrada nos estados do Amapá, Amazonas, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia e São Paulo (Young & Duncan 1994). Essa espécie apresenta hábitos semidomésticos, sendo encontrada em troncos e copas de árvores, em plantações, em áreas marginais às florestas e abrigos de animais domésticos (Azevedo et al 1996, Alexander et al 2001, Rangel & Lainson 2003.…”

“…Na Colômbia, diferentemente, essa espécie apresenta importância na transmissão de Leishmania (Alexander et al 2001).…”

Nuevos registros de flebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae) en el área de influencia del río Amoyá en Chaparral, Tolima

“…En el departamento de Tolima, Región Andina, se han llevado a cabo diversos estudios relacionados con la composición, biología de flebotomíneos e incriminación de vectores de leishmaniasis (6)(7)(8). Estos trabajos han documentado la presencia de 37 especies del género Lutzomyia (Lu.)…”