[Evaluation of sandfly control in Lobato municipality, Paraná State, southern Brazil]. / Avaliação de medidas de controle de flebotomíneos no Município de Lobato, Estado do Paraná, Sul do Brasil.

Sandfly control measures were evaluated at the Da Barra Ranch, Lobato municipality, Paraná State, Brazil. The insects were captured with Falcão traps in houses, a cattle corral, and a forest area from July to November 1999 and from February to June 2000. In December 1999 and January 2000 the following measures were taken to decrease the sandfly density in peridomiciliary areas and domiciles: (i) screens were placed on windows of buildings (domiciles, dormitory, cafeteria); (ii) all organic material was cleaned from the peridomiciliary area; and (iii) buildings were sprayed for insects. There were more Nyssomyia whitmani, Pintomyia fischeri, P. monticola, and Brumptomyia brumpti specimens in the former period, while N. neivai, Migonemyia migonei, and N. pessoai predominated in the latter. In the initial period most of the sandflies were captured in the forest and in the latter period in the houses. The sandfly control measures did not reduce the sandfly population on the Da Barra Ranch, but they led to significant proportional changes in the insect fauna composition.

[Canine American cutaneous leishmaniasis in municipalities of northern Paraná State, Brazil]. / Leishmaniose tegumentar Americana canina em municípios do norte do Estado do Paraná, Brasil.

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is an endemic disease in northern Paraná State, where it affects humans and dogs. This study aimed to verify the occurrence of the canine disease in ACL endemic areas. From September 1999 to July 2002, dogs were investigated in 7 rural areas of 5 municipalities where autochthonous human cases of ACL had been reported. Parasitological and serological methods were used. Fourteen of 67 dogs studied (20.9%) had lesions suggestive of ACL, of which 3 (21.4%) were infected with Leishmania sp. Indirect immunofluorescence for Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis was positive in 37 (55.2%) of 67 dogs. The results showed that human and canine ACL occur simultaneously and indicate the need for additional studies to elucidate the role of dogs in the ACL transmission cycle in the area studied.

[Ecology of Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani in an urban area in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil]. / Ecologia de Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani em área urbana do município de Maringá, Paraná.

OBJECTIVES: To study the fauna, hours of activity and seasonality of phlebotomines in forest animal habitats in the Ingá Park, on the urban perimeter of the municipality of Maringá, Paraná State, Brazil. METHODS: Phlebotomines were collected on the urban perimeter using Shannon traps from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and Falcão traps from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight, on two nights per month from October 1998 to September 2000. The Shannon traps were installed close to forest animal habitats and on the banks of the Moscados stream; the Falcão traps were placed in shelters for captive birds, forest mammals and reptiles. RESULTS: The Shannon traps yielded 13,656 phlebotomines, with predominance of Lutzomyia whitmani (98.7%). The Falcão traps yielded 4,040 phlebotomines, with L. whitmani again predominating (96.3%). L. whitmani was most frequently found between 12:00 midnight and 2:00 a.m. in the Shannon traps. This species was most frequently collected in the months of August (55.1%) in the Shannon traps, and in March 1999 (19.2%), November 1999 (15.9%) and August 2000 (20.6%) in the Falcão traps. More phlebotomines were collected in Falcão traps installed in shelters for captive mammals (84.0%). CONCLUSION: There was a clear predominance of L. whitmani in the Ing Park. The greatest frequency of L. whitmani was in August from Shannon traps, and in March and November from Falcão traps. The peak activity of L. whitmani took place between 12:00 midnight and 2:00 a.m.

[Influence of rearrangement and cleaning of the peridomiciliary area and building disinsectization on sandfly population density in the municipality of Doutor Camargo, Paraná State, Brazil]. / Influência da reorganização, da limpeza do peridomicílio e a da desinsetização de edificações na densidade populacional de flebotomíneos no Município de Doutor Camargo, Estado do Paraná, Brasil.

Phlebotomine sandfly captures were performed in the domicile, domestic animal shelters, and peridomicile before and after rearrangement, cleaning, and disinsectization. Phlebotomine sandflies were captured with Falcão traps from October 1998 to April 2000 in the Recanto Marista district, Doutor Camargo municipality, Paraná State. The results were compared with those from October 1996 to September 1997. In this survey, 122,616 phlebotomine sandflies were captured using 10 traps, as compared to 157,983 in the previous period, with 6 traps. Lutzomyia neivai predominated in both periods. During the former period an hourly average of 1,641.9 phlebotomine sandflies were captured as compared to 806.7 in the latter. The results with four traps installed in the same locations shows that the hourly average was 1,318.8 in the former period and 156.0 in the latter. The large reduction in the number of phlebotomine sandflies captured in the second period may be due to the impact of alterations in the environment and the disinsectization of the buildings after the first period.