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J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis.

V.21, 2015.

Short communication - ISSN 1678-9199.

 

Natural infection of phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) by Leishmania (Leishmania)amazonensis in an area of ecotourism in Central-Western Brazil

 
Andreia Fernandes Brilhante 1, Vânia Lúcia Brandão Nunes 2, Kleber Augusto Kohatsu 2, Eunice Aparecida Bianchi Galati 1, Maria Elizabeth Ghizzi Rocca 3, Edna Aoba Yassui Ishikawa 4

1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715, São Paulo CEP 01246-904, SP, Brazil

2 Laboratory of Human Parasitology, Anhanguera-Uniderp University, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil

3 Center for Zoonosis Control, Bonito, MS, Brazil

4 Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Pará Federal University, Pará, PA, Brazil

 

ABSTRACT

Background

Bonito municipality, known as an area of ecoturism, in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, is also a focus of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniases, with cases registered in both human and canine populations. This study sought to investigate natural infection by flagellate forms of Leishmania in phlebotomines of the urban area of Bonito.

Findings

Sand flies were collected fortnightly from October 2005 to July 2006 with modified automatic light traps installed in peridomiciles and animal shelters in the center and on the outskirts of the city. The females were dissected and their guts observed under an optical microscope. A total of 1977 specimens were captured, Lutzomyia longipalpis (88.4 %) and Bichromomyia flaviscutelata (3.0 %) being the most frequent species. Bi. flaviscutellata was found infected by flagellates that were identified as Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis by indirect immunofluorescence reaction, employing monoclonal antibodies and the biotin-avidin system. This is the first report of natural infection by L. amazonensis in Bi. flaviscutellata in a Brazilian urban area.

Conclusions

As Bi. flaviscutellata is only slightly attracted by humans, the transmission of L. amazonensis in the study area may have a zoonotic character; however, the sympatric occurrence of this parasite andLu. longipalpis should be taken into consideration by the local health authorities since this sand fly has already been found with L. amazonensisDNA in a focus of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Bonito municipality.

 

Key words: Bichromomyia flaviscutellata; Lutzomyia longipalpis; Natural infection; Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis

 

Received: February 16, 2015; Revised: September 24, 2015; Accepted: October 1, 2015

 

Corresponding author: Andreia F Brilhante brilhanteaf@usp.br

 

Competing interests

The authors declare that there are no competing interests.

 

Authors' contributions

VLBN and EABG conceived the study. AFB, EABG, MERG and KAK participated in collection and identification of sand flies species. AFB and KAK built the database. EAYI carried out the identification of Leishmania using monoclonal antibodies tests. The manuscript was written by AFB and VLBN, reviewed and edited by AFB and EABG. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.