Phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) of an American cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic area in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

The occurrence of an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis associated with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in the municipality of Bela Vista, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and the absence of information on its vectors in this area led the authors to undertake captures of phlebotomine sand flies, using Shannon traps and automatic CDC light traps, in domiciles, forested areas and animal shelters from February 2004-January 2006. A total of 808 specimens belonging to 18 sandfly species have been identified: Bichromomyia flaviscutellata,Brumptomyia avellari, Brumptomyia brumpti, Brumptomyia sp, Evandromyia aldafalcaoae, Evandromyia cortelezzii, Evandromyia evandroi, Evandromyia lenti, Evandromyia teratodes, Evandromyia termitophila, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Nyssomyia whitmani, Pintomyia christenseni, Psathyromyia aragaoi, Psathyromyia campograndensis, Psathyromyia punctigeniculata, Psathyromyia shannoni and Sciopemyia sordellii. The presence of Lu. longipalpis, Ny. whitmani and Bi. flaviscutellata, vectors of Leishmania chagasi, Leishmania braziliensis and L. amazonensis, respectively, has increased.

Description of Micropygomyia brandaoi sp. n. (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), a fossil phlebotomine from the Dominican Republic

The description of Micropygomyia brandaoi, a new species of fossil phlebotomine sand fly, is based on one male specimen obtained from Dominican amber of the Miocene period (20 million years). In this new species, the fifth palpal segment is long, the coxite lacks a setal tuft and the style shows four well-developed spines. This set of characters allowed us to place the new species in the genus Micropygomyia Barretto.

Description of micropygomyia brandaoi sp. N. (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae), a fossil phlebotomine from the Dominican Republic

The description of Micropygomyia brandaoi, a new species of fossil phlebotomine sand fly, is based on one male specimen obtained from Dominican amber of the Miocene period (20 million years). In this new species, the fifth palpal segment is long, the coxite lacks a setal tuft and the style shows four well-developed spines. This set of characters allowed us to place the new species in the genus Micropygomyia Barretto

Wolbachia infections of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae)

Old and New World phlebotomine sand fly species were screened for infection with Wolbachia, intracellular bacterial endosymbionts found in many arthropods and filarial nematodes. Of 53 samples representing 15 species, nine samples of four species were found positive for Wolbachia by polymerase chain reaction amplification using primers for the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene. Five of the wsp gene fragments from four species were cloned, sequenced, and used for phylogenetic analysis. These wsp sequences were placed in three different clades within the arthropod associated Wolbachia (groups A and B), suggesting that Wolbachia has infected sand flies on more than one occasion. Two distantly related sand fly species, Lutzomyia (Psanthyromyia) shannoni (Dyar) and Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho), infected with an identical Wolbachia strain suggest a very recent horizontal transmission.

Phlebotomine salivas inhibit immune inflammation-induced neutrophil migration via an autocrine DC-derived PGE(2)/IL-10 sequential pathway

In the present study, we investigated whether saliva from Phlebotomus papatasi and Phlebotomus duboscqi inhibited antigen-induced neutrophil migration and the mechanisms involved in these effects. The pretreatment of immunized mice with salivary gland extracts (SGE) of both phlebotomines inhibited OVA challenge-induced neutrophil migration and release of the neutrophil chemotactic mediators, MIP-1 alpha, TNF-alpha, and leukotriene B-4 (LTB4). Furthermore, SGE treatment enhanced the production of anti-inflammatory mediators, IL-10 and PGE(2). SGE treatments failed to inhibit neutrophil migration and MIP-1 alpha and LTB4 production in IL-10(-/-) mice, also failing in mice treated with nonselective (indomethacin) or selective (rofecoxibe) cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors. COX inhibition resulted in diminished SGE-induced IL-10 production, and PGE(2) release triggered by SGE remained increased in IL-10(-/-) mice, suggesting that prostanoids are acting through an IL-10-dependent mechanism. SGE treatments in vivo reduced the OVA-induced lymphoproliferation of spleen-derived cells. Further, the in vitro incubation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC) with SGE inhibited the proliferation of CD4(+) T cells from OVA-immunized mice, which was reversed by indomethacin and anti-IL-10 antibody treatments. Supporting these results, SGE induced the production of PGE(2) and IL-10 by DC, which were blocked by COX inhibition. These effects were associated with the reduction of DC-membrane expression of MHC-II and CD86 by SGE treatment. Altogether, the results showed that Phlebotomine saliva inhibits immune inflammation-induced neutrophil migration by an autocrine DC sequential production of PGE(2)/IL-10, suggesting that the saliva constituents might be promising therapeutic molecules to target immune inflammatory diseases.

Phlebotomine fauna in a rural area of the Brazilian Pantanal

The aim of the study was to identify among the phlebotomine fauna potential leishmaniasis vectors. The study was carried out in Corumbá county, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Mid-West Brazil (18º59'S, 56º39'W). Sand fly captures were undertaken fortnightly with automatic light traps at 11 sites in forested environments and anthropic areas from April 2001 to July 2003. A total of only 41 specimens were captured. Thirty-one percent of the specimens were captured in forests and 68.3% in anthropic areas. The predominance of non-anthropophilic groups and the low density of N. whitmani, a known cutaneous leishmaniasis vector, does not seem to indicate any actual risk of the transmission of this disease in the study area.

Assessment of PCR in the detection of Leishmania spp in experimentally infected individual phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied in the investigation of the presence of Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) parasites in single phlebotomine sandflies. Three phlebotomine/parasite pairs were used: Lutzomyia longipalpis/Leishmania chagasi, Lutzomyia migonei/Leishmania amazonensis and Lutzomyia migonei/Leishmania braziliensis, all of them incriminated in the transmission of visceral or cutaneous leishmaniasis. DNA extraction was performed with whole insects, with no need of previous digestive tract dissection or pooling specimens. The presence of either mouse blood in the digestive tract of the sandflies or the digestive tract itself did not interfere in the PCR. Infection by as few as 10 Leishmania sp. per individual were sufficient for DNA amplification with genus-specific primers. Using primers for L. braziliensis and L. mexicana complexes, respectively, it was possible to discriminate between L. braziliensis and L. amazonensis in experimentally infected vectors (L. migonei).

Distribution of phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of medical importance in Mato Grosso State, Brazil

Intense environmental impacts, causing alterations of the natural habitats of fauna, including those of sandfly disease vectors are observed in Mato Grosso State, Central Brazil. Entomologic survey of phlebotomines was based on light trap and was carried out by entomological nucleus of the FUNASA and SES in the period between 1996 and 2001. Eighty eight species were identified, including the following sandflies with medical importance to leishmaniasis: Lutzomyia amazonensis, L. anduzei, L. antunesi, L. ayrozai, L. carrerai carrerai, L. complexa, L. cruzi, L. flaviscutellata, L. intermedia, L. longipalpis, L. migonei, L. paraensis, L. ubiquitalis, L. whitmani and L. yuilli yuilli. Most sandflies of medical importance occurred in the Amazon forest and savannah. L. longipalpis and L. cruzi had high densities in the savannah region. L. flaviscutellata is predominating in both the Amazon forest and the savannah region. L. whitmani and L. antunesi were sampled in the Amazon forest, savannah and marsh land.

PHLEBOTOMINE SANDFLIES IN RURAL LOCATIONS IN THE STATE OF PARANA, SOUTHERN BRAZIL

SUMMARYThis study reports the fauna and frequency of sandflies in domestic animal shelters, residences and other ecotopes in rural areas of the municipality of Bandeirantes, Paraná State. Sandflies were collected twice in eight rural villages by using Falcon traps from 8pm to 6am in 2008. In these localities 4,790 sandflies were collected, which were represented by ten sandfly species, prevailing of Nyssomyia neivai and Nyssomyia whitmani species. It was observed that animal shelters are the domestic ecotopes where there is the greatest frequency of these insects. The localities where the collections were made had the environmental characteristics that allow the persistence of transmission of parasites from the American tegumentary leishmaniasis. Although the fauna and the behavior of sandflies species are similar in different localities, the method of controlling these insects should be adjusted to the environmental characteristics of each one of the most diverse endemic areas of American tegumentary leishmaniasis in the municipalities of Paraná State.

MOLECULAR DETECTION OF Leishmania IN PHLEBOTOMINE SAND FLIES IN A CUTANEOUS AND VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS ENDEMIC AREA IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Several phlebotomine sand fly species have been regarded as putative or proven vectors of parasites of the genus Leishmania in Brazil, but data for the northeastern region remains incipient. In this study, a total of 600 phlebotomine sand flies were grouped in pools of 10 specimens each and tested by a Leishmania genus-specific PCR and by a PCR targeting Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum. Fourteen out of 60 pools were positive by the genus-specific PCR, being five pools of L. migonei, seven of L. complexa, one of L. sordellii and one of L. naftalekatzi, which correspond to a minimal infection rate of 2.3% (14/600). Our results, associated with their known anthropophily and their abundance, suggest the participation of L. migonei and L. complexa as vectors of Leishmania in northeastern Brazil. Remarkably, this is the first time in this country that the detection of Leishmania DNA in L. sordellii and L. naftalekatzi has been reported, but future studies are necessary to better understand the significance of these findings.

PHLEBOTOMINE FAUNA (DIPTERA: PSYCHODIDAE) IN AN AREA OF FISHING TOURISM IN CENTRAL-WESTERN BRAZIL

The aim of this study was to identify behavioral aspects of the sandfly fauna of a fishing tourism area in the municipality of Bonito (MS). Monthly captures were undertaken from December 2009 to November 2010, using automatic CDC type light traps, from 18h00 to 06h00, in a forested area, a savannah area, peridomiciles and animal shelters near peridomiciliary areas. Nyssomyia whitmani was the most frequent out of a total of 6,699 specimens collected, belonging to 16 species, followed by Psathyromyia bigeniculata and Lutzomyia longipalpis, found in all the environments investigated, though in their greatest numbers in the animal shelters. Ny. whitmani exhibited its highest frequencies during the dry months, coincident with the fishing season, when the risk of transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis for tourists and inhabitants increases. Noteworthy was the finding of two species naturally infected by flagellates: Ny. whitmani and Pa. bigeniculata. The local population and visiting tourists should be warned of the threat posed by leishmaniasis and the health authorities alerted to the need for adopting environmental sanitary measures, especially regarding such animal shelters as they seem to provide favorable conditions to the proliferation, maintenance and breeding opportunities of phlebotomines.

Ecology of Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera, Psychodidae) in Brazilian Atlantic Forest

The phlebotomine sandfly fauna of a primary forest reserve at Morretes (eastern Paraná State) was studied, using CDC-like light traps, one night per month, at canopy and ground level, between April 1995 and March 1996. A total of 3,106 insects were collected, identified as belonging to nine species. Lutzomyia ayrozai and Lu.geniculata were predominant, seven other species also being present. Monthly mean temperature, rainfall and the temperature of the collection night significantly influenced the numbers of Lu. ayrozai while the two first factors influenced the numbers of Lu. geniculata, besides the collected quantities of females of the two species. The influence of the factors on Lu. ayrozai numbers was more immediate than in those of Lu. geniculata. Numbers of both species and of the females of Lu. geniculata collected in different seasons, but not at the different heights, varied significantly. Differences between the behaviour of Lu. ayrozai in Morretes and in other regions could be attributed to environmental differences and/or to regional variations in the species, which could constitute species complexes. Hourly variations of collections were different in the species and seasons.

Phlebotomine sandflies in a focus of dermal leishmaniasis in the eastern region of the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina: preliminary results (Diptera: Psychodidae)

Due to the occurrence of cases of dermal leishmaniasis in the Municipality of Piçarras, in the East of the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina, collections of Phlebotomine sandflies by the use of CDC-like light traps were developed near the houses of the patients. Three species (Lutzomyia neivai, Lu. fischeri and Lu. ayrozai) were collected. Lu. neivai was predominant near the houses, and Lu. ayrozai was collected in a secondary forest in a nearby municipality (Navegantes). The novelty of this focus, the most southern one in the East of Brazil, underscores the need for more complete studies on the sandfly fauna.

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in the State of Pernambuco

INTRODUCTION: Phlebotomine sand flies are small insects of great medical relevance. This article presents an updated list of the phlebotomine sand flies occurring in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. METHODS: A review of literature published since the 1940s up to May 2010 was conducted and voucher material deposited in reference collections were studied. RESULTS: A total of 37 phlebotomine species have previously been reported as occurring in Pernambuco, but the record of six species needs confirmation. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides an updated list of phlebotomine sand flies of Pernambuco, with some notes on their taxonomy, ecology, distribution and epidemiological relevance.

Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Governador Valadares, a transmission area for American tegumentary leishmaniasis in State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: A study on the phlebotomine sandfly fauna was carried out in an endemic area for American tegumentary leishmaniasis in the municipality of Governador Valadares, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: Captures were undertaken using HP light traps in four districts, on three nights per month, for one year (from January to December 2008). Correlations between climatic factors (temperature, relative air humidity and rainfall) and the numbers of sandflies collected was observed. RESULTS: 5,413 phlebotomine specimens were caught and were identified as belonging to 12 species. Of these specimens, 2,851 (52%) were females and 2,562 (48%) were males. CONCLUSIONS: Lutzomyia intermedia predominated (29.9% of the species caught), thus suggesting that they were responsible for transmission of American tegumentary leishmaniasis, together with L. whitmani, which was also found in the area (4.3%). The presence of L. longipalpis (11.9%), the main vector for visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil, is an important finding, which makes rigorous entomological surveillance of the area necessary.