Article
Naturally infected Lutzomyia sand flies in a Leishmania-endemic area of Brazil
Registro en:
CARVALHO, Gustavo Mayr de Lima et al. Naturally infected Lutzomyia sand flies in a Leishmania-endemic area of Brazil. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, . Jun;v. 8, n. 3, p. 407-414, 20080. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2007.0180.
1557-7759
10.1089/vbz.2007.0180
Autor
Carvalho, Gustavo Mayr de Lima
Andrade Filho, Jose Dilermando
Falcao, Alda Lima
Lima, Ana Cristina Vieira Mariano da Rocha
Gontijo, Celia Maria Ferreira
Resumen
In Brazil, Leishmania transmission involves several species of phlebotomine sand flies that are closely associated with different parasites and reservoirs, giving rise to different transmission cycles. The present study focused on naturally infected phlebotomines. originating from Santa Luzia, a municipality near Belo Horizonte, capital of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, in which leishmaniasis are endemic. Systematic and nonsystematic approaches, involving the use of light traps and direct aspiration from resting sites, respectively, were used to collect female sand flies. Identification of the captured insects and determination of natural infection by Leishmania spp. were performed using both conventional dissection methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The dissection of 102 sand flies allowed five species of Lutzomyia to be identified, although no flagellate parasite forms were observed. In addition, 211 sand flies were identified, were separated according to species, and were combined into 11 pools of up to 20 individuals each. PCR analyses showed that two of these pools were infected with Leishmania: one pool of Lu. whitmani was infected with Le. (Viannia) spp. and another of Lu. cortelezzii was infected with Le. chagasi. This suggests that Lu. whitmani may be a possible vector of Leishmania in the study area, and more work needs to be performed to assess the role of Lu. cortelezzii as a vector