Study of Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) Collected in a Leishmania-Endemic Area of the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Abstract

Phlebotomine sand flies are distributed across nearly all faunal regions of the world, represented by over 800 species, of which many are important vectors of human pathogens. Brazil is currently faced with the expansion and urbanization of leishmaniases, with an increase in the numbers of human cases and seropositive dogs in various medium-sized to large cities. The objective of the current study was to survey the phlebotomine sand fly species in an area endemic for American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) and American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL), i.e., the municipal district of Santa Luzia, lying within the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. Sand flies were collected monthly in 2004-2005 using modified Falcão light traps hung in the peridomiciles of houses and surrounding wooded areas in the district of Baronesa. A total of 1,552 sand flies belonging to seven species was collected, and an interesting pattern of the distribution of the most abundant species relative to the sampling locality was revealed. In the wooded areas Lutzomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) predominated, whereas in the urban area Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva) was the most abundant species. These results indicate two possible epidemiological patterns of Leishmania transmission in Santa Luzia: one for American cutaneous leishmaniasis associated predominantly with wooded areas, and another for AVL, with transmission principally occurring around human habitations.

Seasonality of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and Leishmania DNA detection in vector species in an area with endemic visceral leishmaniasis

“…cavernicola and Sc. sordelli are associated with cave environments, but the former species has also been recorded in other ecotypes such as forests and pastures (Carvalho et al 2010, Rego et al 2014). There is no evidence that these species participates in the transmission cycles of Leishmania sp.…”

“…Each SD is divided into coverage areas based on the population assisted at each of the health centres. Studies performed in the metropolitan region of BH have already documented the sand fly vectors of L. ( L. ) infantum and Leishmania ( Viannia ) braziliensis (Vianna, 1911) (Carvalho et al 2010). …”

Low Parasite Load Estimated by qPCR in a Cohort of Children Living in Urban Area Endemic for Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil

“…Follow-up blood collection was carried out by venipuncture because of the smaller number of participants, who had previous positive results, and was performed at health centers. Because the children participating in the study live in VL endemic areas where transmission occurs continuously, their infection status may have changed during the follow-up period [28], [29]. Recent infection may be responsible for the positive test results of children who had previously tested negative.…”

Biogeographical aspects of the occurrence of Nyssomyia neivai and Nyssomyia intermedia (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a sympatric area of the Brazilian savannah

“…longipalpis is most frequent in urban areas. Therefore, we may infer that urbanisation alters species dynamics, thereby favouring those species that are most adapted to anthropically modified environments (Souza et al 2004, Resende et al 2006, Carvalho et al 2010.…”