Biodiversity assessment of Phlebotomine (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an environmental impacted area in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

ABSTRACT From October 1994 to September 1996, in the municipality of Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro State, phlebotomines were captured on the walls of the houses by means of a manual suction tube and light traps, in the household, the peridomicile and in the forest. As it is an area undergoing a real expansion and an increment in the local tourism, with the purpose of assessing changes in the phlebotomine fauna caused by environmental changes in the region, new captures were made in the same location from October 2015 to September 2016, this time using only light traps. In the two phases of the study, a total of 6,681 phlebotomines were captured. The results indicated that Ny. intermedia and Mg. migonei are fully adapted to this anthropic environment, while Pi. fischeri was more abundant and eclectic, and was probably attracted to exercise hematophagy. Nyssomyia intermedia can be suggested as the main vector of the etiological agent of the American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis in the studied areas. Pintomyia fischeri can also transmit Leishmania braziliensis, both in the environment altered by human action, and in the wild environment. Phlebotomines were captured in greater numbers between 6 and 8 pm in the peridomicile and between 9 and 11 pm in the household. The highest densities of phlebotomines were recorded in December, January and February. Despite almost 20 years between the two studies in the municipality of Mangaratiba, there was no change in the profile of the phlebotomine fauna in general; however, there was a greater density of species of medical importance in areas that suffered environmental impacts.

Binational burden of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Oiapoque, Amapá State, Brazil, bordering French Guiana

Abstract INTRODUCTION: American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is regarded as a public health problem in the Oiapoque basin, between Brazil and French Guiana. METHODS Data on ACL occurrence/epidemiological profile and etiology were sourced from Brazilian health services and a reference laboratory. Rainfall correlation was also analyzed. RESULTS: Majority of the ACL cases were observed in adult men working as gold miners. ACL incidence peaks appeared to be linked to periods 2 months after the dry season. Migratory flow was found to be a non-negligible complicating factor in epidemiological surveillance. CONCLUSIONS: Binational strategies are required to minimize exposure for high-risk populations.

Effectiveness of dog collars impregnated with 4% deltamethrin in controlling visceral leishmaniasis in Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidade: Phlebotominae) populations

BACKGROUND There is little information on the effect of using deltamethrin-impregnated dog collars for the control of canine visceral leishmaniasis. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of 4% deltamethrin-impregnated collars (Scalibor®) in controlling visceral leishmaniasis in Lutzomyia longipalpis by comparing populations in intervention and non-intervention areas. METHODS Phlebotomine flies were captured over 30 months in four neighbourhoods with intense visceral leishmaniasis transmission in Fortaleza and Montes Claros. We calculated the rates of domicile infestation, relative abundance of Lu. longipalpis, and Lu. longipalpis distribution in each site, capture location (intra- and peridomestic locations) and area (intervention and non-intervention areas). FINDINGS In the control area in Fortaleza, the relative abundance of Lu. longipalpis was 415 specimens at each capture site, whereas in the intervention area it was 159.25; in Montes Claros, the relative abundance was 5,660 specimens per capture site in the control area, whereas in the intervention area it was 2,499.4. The use of dog collars was associated with a reduction in captured insects of 15% (p = 0.004) and 60% (p < 0.001) in Montes Claros and Fortaleza, respectively. MAIN CONCLUSIONS We observed a lower vector abundance in the intervention areas, suggesting an effect of the insecticide-impregnated collars.

Increasing potential risk for American visceral leishmaniasis in Amapá, Brazil

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The present note discusses some evidence on the increasing potential risk for American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) transmission in the Northern Brazilian State of Amapá, the Guianan-Amazon biome. METHODS Early and present data about AVL were collected, including our recent entomological findings. RESULTS: The spread of the sand fly vector Lutzomyia longipalpis, and a sylvatic reservoir host, the crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous in that region represents important findings related to the epidemiology of AVL in the Guianan-Amazon biome. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that Brazilian authorities need to develop surveillance strategies in these risk areas.

Lutzomyia longipalpis urbanisation and control

Since the description of Lutzomyia longipalpis by Lutz and Neiva more than 100 years ago, much has been written in the scientific literature about this phlebotomine species. Soares and Turco (2003) and Lainson and Rangel (2005) have written extensive reviews focused on vector-host-parasite interactions and American visceral leishmaniasis ecology. However, during the last two decades, the success of Lu. longipalpis in colonising urban environments and its simultaneous geographical spreading have led to new theoretical and operational questions. Therefore, this review updates the general information about this species and notes the more challenging topics regarding the new scenario of urbanisation-spreading and its control in America. Here, we summarise the literature on these issues and the remaining unsolved questions, which pose recommendations for operational research.

Studies on Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Campus FIOCRUZ Mata Atlântica, Jacarepaguá, in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: The presence of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in the communities of the Campus FIOCRUZ Mata Atlântica (CFMA) in the City of Rio de Janeiro initiated the investigation of the Phlebotominae fauna in the Atlantic Forest to determine the occurrence of putative ACL vectors associated with the enzootic cycle. METHODS: For 24 consecutive months, sand flies were captured inside the forest and in the border area near the communities. RESULTS: The following sand fly species were identified: Brumptomyia brumpti, Brumptomyia cunhai, Brumptomyia nitzulescui, Lutzomyia edwardsi, Lutzomyia pelloni, and Lutzomyia quinquefer. Other identified sand fly vectors, such as Lutzomyia intermedia (the predominant species), Lutzomyia migonei, Lutzomyia whitmani, Lutzomyia fischeri, and Lutzomyia hirsuta hirsuta, are associated with ACL transmission, and the vector for American visceral leishmaniases (AVL), Lutzomyia longipalpis, was also found. CONCLUSIONS: All sand fly vectors were found in both studied environments except for Lutzomyia whitmani, which was only identified in the forest. This study represents the first identification of Lutzomyia longipalpis in the CFMA, and the epidemiological implications are discussed. .

Ecology of Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lutzomyia migonei in an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis / Ecologia de Lutzomyia longipalpis e Lutzomyia migonei em uma área endêmica para Leishmaniose Visceral

The main vector for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil is Lutzomyia longipalpis. However, the absence of L. longipalpis in a region of autochthonous VL demonstrates the participation of other species in the transmission of the parasite. Studies conducted in La Banda, Argentina, and São Vicente Férrer, Pernambuco State, Brazil, have correlated the absence of L. longipalpis and the presence of L. migonei with autochthonous cases of VL. In São Vicente Férrer, Pernambuco, there was evidence for the natural infection of L. migonei with Leishmania infantum chagasi. Thus, the objective of this work was to assess the ecology of the sand flies L. longipalpis and L. migonei in Fortaleza, an endemic area for VL. Insect capture was conducted at 22 sampling points distributed across four regions of Fortaleza. In total, 32,403 sand flies were captured; of these, 18,166 (56%) were identified as L. longipalpis and 14,237 (44%) as L. migonei. There were significant density differences found between the vectors at each sampling site (indoors and outdoors) (p <0.0001). These findings confirm that L. migonei and L. longipalpis are distributed throughout Fortaleza, where they have adapted to an indoor environment, and suggest that L. migonei may share the role as a vector with L. longipalpis in the transmission of VL in Fortaleza.

O principal vetor de leishmaniose visceral (LV) no Brasil é Lutzomyia longipalpis. Entretanto, a ausência de L. longipalpis em área com casos autóctones de LV demonstra a existência de outras espécies na transmissão dessa doença. Estudo realizado na cidade de La Banda, Argentina, e São Vicente Férrer, Brasil, correlacionou a ausência de L. longipalpis e a presença de Lutzomyia migonei com casos autóctones de LV. Em São Vicente Férrer, foi comprovada a infecção natural de L. migonei por Leishmania infantum chagasi. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a ecologia dos flebotomíneos L. longipalpis e L. migonei no município de Fortaleza, área endêmica para LV. A captura de flebotomíneos foi realizada em 22 pontos de coleta distribuídos nas quatro regiões do município de Fortaleza. No total, foram capturados 32.403 flebotomíneos. Destes, 18.166 (56%) eram da espécie L. longipalpis e 14.237 (44%) eram L. migonei. Houve diferença significativa de densidade entre os vetores em cada local de captura (intra e peri) (p<0,0001). Esses achados confirmam que, na cidade de Fortaleza, L. migonei e L. longipalpis estão bem distribuídos, bem como adaptados ao ambiente intradomiciliar e que L. migonei, possivelmente, compartilhe com L. longipalpis o papel de vetor da LV em Fortaleza.

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) from Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: species distribution and potential vectors of leishmaniases

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) from Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: Species distribution and potential vectors of leishmaniases. Rio de Janeiro State, in Brazil, has endemic areas of both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniases. In these areas, entomologic surveillance actions are highly recommended by Brazil's Ministry of Health. The present work describes the results of sand fly captures performed by the Health Department of Rio de Janeiro State between 2009 and 2011 in several municipalities. An updated species list and distribution of phlebotomine sand flies in the state are provided based on an extensive literature review. Currently, the sand fly fauna of Rio de Janeiro State has 65 species, belonging to the genera Brumptomyia (8 spp.) and Lutzomyia (57 spp.). Distribution maps of potential leishmaniases vector species Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) intermedia, L. migonei, L. (N.) whitmani, L. (N.) flaviscutellata and L. (Lutzomyia) longipalpis are provided and their epidemiological importance is discussed.

The phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) of Guarai, state of Tocantins, with an emphasis on the putative vectors of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural settlement and periurban areas

Phlebotomine sandflies were captured in rural settlement and periurban areas of the municipality of Guaraí in the state of Tocantins (TO), an endemic area of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL). Forty-three phlebotomine species were identified, nine of which have already been recognised as ACL vectors. Eleven species were recorded for the first time in TO. Nyssomyia whitmani was the most abundant species, followed by Evandromyia bourrouli, Nyssomyia antunesi and Psychodopygus complexus. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index and the evenness index were higher in the rural settlement area than in the periurban area. The evaluation of different ecotopes within the rural area showed the highest frequencies of Ev. bourrouli and Ny. antunesi in chicken coops, whereas Ny. whitmani predominated in this ecotope in the periurban area. In the rural settlement area, Ev. bourrouli was the most frequently captured species in automatic light traps and Ps. complexus was the most prevalent in Shannon trap captures. The rural settlement environment exhibited greater phlebotomine biodiversity than the periurban area. Ps. complexus and Psychodopygus ayrozai naturally infected with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis were identified. The data identified Ny. whitmani as a potential ACL vector in the periurban area, whereas Ps. complexus was more prevalent in the rural environment associated with settlements.

Proven and putative vectors of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil: aspects of their biology and vectorial competence

The aim of the present review is to give relevant information on aspects of the biology and ecology, including the vectorial competence of Lutzomyia sand fly species suggested as vectors of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil. The disease, due to Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, has been registered in most municipalities in all the Brazilian states and its transmission is associated with more than one sand fly species in each geographical region. A variety of Leishmania species can be found in the Amazon basin, where different epidemiological chains have been detected with the participation of different phlebotomine vectors. Finally, a discussion is presented on some sand fly species found naturally infected by Leishmania, but for which there is as yet no evidence regarding their epidemiological importance.

Studies on the feeding habits of Lutzomyia ( N. ) intermedia ( Diptera, Psychodidae ), vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil

O teste de precipitina foi aplicado na identificação das fontes alimentares de Lutzomyia intermedia, de ambientes intra e peri-domiciliar, do Município de Mesquita, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, área de transmissão de Leishmania (V.) braziliensis. Foram testados os seguintes antisoros: homem, ave, cão, eqüino, gambá e roedor. De um total de 370 fêmeas analisadas, revelaram reatividade, contra os antisoros testados, 128 espécimes do intra-domicílio e 59 do ambiente peridomiciliar. A antropofilia de L. intermedia foi confirmada nos dois ambientes trabalhados; da mesma forma, a alimentação deste flebotomíneo em animais domésticos, observada anteriormente em levantamentos entomológicos, foi comprovada pela forte reatividade com antisoros de ave, cão e eqüino. Entretanto, a alimentação em roedores, animais sinantrópicos no ambiente domiciliar (interior e ao redor das residências), é mais uma forte evidência da competência vetorial de L. intermedia, uma vez que roedores sinantrópicos e silvestres são comprovadamente reservatórios de L. (V.) braziliensis.

A Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny indicates close relationships between populations of Lutzomyia whitmani (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) from the rain-forest resgions of Amazônia and Northeast Brazil

Phylogenetic analysis of all 31 described mitochondrial (cytochrome b) haplotypes of Lutzomyia whitmani demostrated that new material from the State of Rondônia, in southwest Amazônia, forms a clade within a lineage found only in the rain-forest regions of Brazil. This rain-forest lineage also contains two other clades of haplotypes, one from eastern Amazônia and one from the Atlantic forest zone of northeast Brazil (including the type locality of the species in Ilhéus, State of Bahia). These findings do not favour recognizing two allopatric cryptic species of L. whitmani, one associated with the silvatic transmission of Leishmania shawi in southeast Amazônia and the other with the peridomestic transmission of Le. braziliensis in northeast Brazil. Instead, they suggest that there is (or has been in the recent past a continuum of inter-breeding populations of L. whitmani in the rain-forest regions of Brazil.

Development of Colombian isolates of Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis, Le. (V.) guyanensis and Le. (V.) braziliensis in the sandfly Lutzomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) under experimental conditions

The development of Colombian Leishmania species of the subgenus Viannia in Lutzomyia intermedia was similar to that observed with Brazilian Le. (V.) braziliensis: colonization of the pylorus by paramastigotes; promastigotes in the midgut and massive infection of stomodeal valve. Difference was observed in the number of paramastigotes colonizing the pylorus, which was smaller in Colombian Leishmania species than Brazilian Le. braziliensis

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in frequent in equines from an endemic area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

O achado de uma mula infectada num foco endêmico de leishmaniose tegumentar no Rio de Janeiro, levou-nos a procurar sistematicamente infecçöes por Leishmania em equinos, resultando no encontro de 30,8% de parasitados, incluindo cavalos e mulas. A possibilidade de esses animais participarem da cadeia epidemiológica da leishmaniose humana está sendo investigada

Flebótomos de Vargem Grande, foco de leishmaniose tegumentar no Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Phlebotomus of Vargem Grande, focus of tegumentary leishmaniasis in the State of Rio de Janeiro

Realizamos durante um ano completo coletas sistemáticas de flebótomos em Vargem Grande, onde recentemente encontráramos Lutzomyia intermedia naturalmente infectada por Leishmania braziliensis. Capturamos flebótomos pertencentes a doze espécies. Tanto dentro de casa quanto no peridomicílio, as capturas em isca humana e com armadilha luminosa, revelaram a grande predominância de L. intermedia seguida de L. migonei. Na plantaçäo predominou L. migonei. Nas coletas simultâneas em homem e cäo, L. intermedia foi mais freqüente no primeiro e L. migonei no segundo

Leishmaniose tegumentar em uma mula (Equus caballus x equus asinus) em área endêmica no Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Cutaneous leishmaniasis in a mule (Equus caballus x Equus asinus) in a endemic area of the state of Rio de Janeiro

É relatado o encontro de infecçäo por parasitos do gênero Leishmania, em lesäo cutânea de uma mula (Equus caballus x Equus asinus) procedente de uma localidade endêmica de leishmaniose tegumentar, no Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Experimental infection of Lutzomyia longipalpis fed on a patient with cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania mexicana amazonensis

Os autores lograram infectar flebótomos em um caso humano de leishmaniose tegumentar americana fazendo fêmeas de Lutzomyia longipalpis se alimentarem em paciente com lesöes devida à Leishmania mexicana amazonensis

Flagellates in the Malpighian tubules of laboratory-bred Lutzomyia longipalpis fed on a hamster experimentally infected with Leishmania mexicana amazonensis

Encontramos abundantes promastigotas nos tubos de Malpighi, além do tubo digestivo, em elevada proporçäo de fêmeas de Lutzomyia longipalpis experimentalmente infectadas em hamster inoculado com Leishmania mexicana amazonensis

Observations on the sandfly (Diptera: Psychodidae) fauna of Além Paraíba state of Minas Gerais, Brazil and the isolation of a parasite of the Leishmania braziliensis complex from Psychodopygus hirsuta hirsuta

Foram dissecados 765 flebótomos capturados em Além Paraíba (localidade tipo da Leishmania braziliensis) resultando no isolamento de um parasita do complexo Le. braziliensis, encontrado em Psychodopygus hirsuta hirsuta naturalmente infectado

Estabelecimento de colonia, em laboratório de Lutzomyia intermedia Lutz & Neiva, 1912 (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) / Establishment of colony, in laboratory, of Lutzomyia intermedia Lutz & Neiva, 1912 (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae)

Para a utilizaçäo em infecçöes experimentais e xenodiagnósticos de infecçöes naturais por leishmânias dermotrópicas do Rio de Janeiro, estabelecemos, em laboratório, uma colônia de Lutzomyia intermedia apresentando aqui a metodologia seguida, juntamente com dados relativos ao rendimento e duraçäo de cada fase evolutiva nas quatro primeiras geraçöes