Association of Lutzomyia columbiana (Diptera: Psychodidae) with a leismaniasis focus in Colombia due to species to the Leishmania mexicana complex

ABSTRACT

In Colombia, Leishmania mexicana has a scattered geographical destribution and no sand fly vectors have been associated with its transmission. During the present study, the anthropophilic sand fly Lutzomyia columbiana was found to be the only species collected using diverse methods, in a samall focus of Le. mexicana in the municipality of samaniego, SW Colombia. Ecological data indicate that this sand fly species is present in both peri and intradomestic habitats, where it readitly bites man. Further evidence comes from experimental infections of wild-caught Lu. columbiana with Le. mexicana after feeding on infected hamsters. Based on these results, it is suggested that this sand fly is the most likely vector in the study area, suggesting the existence of a previouly unknown sand fly-parasite association.