Nocturnal Activity Rhythm of Nyssomyia intermedia (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Campus Fiocruz Mata Atlântica, an American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Transmission Area, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Nyssomyia intermedia is an important vector of American cutaneous leishmaniasis. METHODS: Sand flies were captured in a Shannon trap and after landing on human collectors and retrieved monthly. Nocturnal activity was estimated using a log-linear model. RESULTS: Peak sand fly collection in the Shannon trap occurred in summer and winter, and peak fly collection on humans occurred in spring and summer. CONCLUSIONS: Ny. intermedia was captured in both the hottest and coldest months, indicating its adaptability to different seasons and the possibility of disease transmission at any time of the year in Campus Fiocruz Mata Atlântica, Brazil.

Nocturnal activity rhythm of nyssomyia intermedia (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) in campus fiocruz mata atlântica, an american cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission area, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Nyssomyia intermedia is an important vector of American cutaneous leishmaniasis. METHODS: Sand flies were captured in a Shannon trap and after landing on human collectors and retrieved monthly. Nocturnal activity was estimated using a log-linear model. RESULTS: Peak sand fly collection in the Shannon trap occurred in summer and winter, and peak fly collection on humans occurred in spring and summer. CONCLUSIONS: Ny. intermedia was captured in both the hottest and coldest months, indicating its adaptability to different seasons and the possibility of disease transmission at any time of the year in Campus Fiocruz Mata Atlântica, Brazil.

Clocks do not tick in unison: isolation of Clock and vrille shed new light on the clockwork model of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis.

BACKGROUND: Behavior rhythms of insect vectors directly interfere with the dynamics of pathogen transmission to humans. The sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in America and concentrates its activity around dusk. Despite the accumulation of behavioral data, very little is known about the molecular bases of the clock mechanism in this species. This study aims to characterize, within an evolutionary perspective, two important circadian clock genes, Clock and vrille. FINDINGS: We have cloned and isolated the coding sequence of L. longipalpis' genes Clock and vrille. The former is structured in eight exons and encodes a protein of 696 amino acids, and the latter comprises three exons and translates to a protein of 469 amino acids. When compared to other insects' orthologues, L. longipalpis CLOCK shows a high degree of conservation in the functional domains bHLH and PAS, but a much shorter glutamine-rich (poly-Q) C-terminal region. As for L. longipalpis VRILLE, a high degree of conservation was found in the bZIP domain. To support these observations and provide an elegant view of the evolution of both genes in insects, phylogenetic analyses based on maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inferences were performed, corroborating the previously known insect systematics. CONCLUSIONS: The isolation and phylogenetic analyses of Clock and vrille orthologues in L. longipalpis bring novel and important data to characterize this species' circadian clock. Interestingly, the poly-Q shortening observed in CLOCK suggests that its transcription activity might be impaired and we speculate if this effect could be compensated by other clock factors such as CYCLE.

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.

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. .

Aspectos da ecologia de flebotomíneos (DIptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), no distrito de Posse, área de ocorrência de Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana, no município de Petrópolis, Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Aspects of the ecology of flebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), in the district of Posse, area of occurrence of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, of the municipality of Petrópolis, State of Rio De Janeiro

No presente estudo foram investigados aspectos da ecologia de flebotomíneos, do distrito de Posse, município de Petrópolis, a 112 Km da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, estado do Rio de Janeiro. Nossa estação de trabalho foi estabelecida no Sítio Catavento, onde um caso humano de leishmaniose cutânea, por L. (V.) braziliensis foi diagnosticado. Durante três anos consecutivos foram realizadas coletas semanais no ambiente domiciliar e na mata, utilizando armadilha luminosa do tipo CDC e barraca de Shannon. Foram identificadas 20 espécies de flebotomíneos: Brumptomyia brumpti, B. cardosoi, B.guimaraesi, Lutzomyia amarali, L. longipalpis, L. microps, L. costalimai, L. edwardsi, L. firmatoi, L. migonei, L. termitophila, L. tupynambai, L. fischeri, L. pessoai, L. lutziana, L. shannoni, L. barrettoi, L. intermedia, L. whitmani, L. lloydi and L. minasensis. L. intermedia e L. whitmani foram as espécies mais predominantes e as demais espécies ocorreram em baixas percentagens. Inicialmente, foi investigado a sazonalidade de Lutzomyia intermedia e Lutzomyia whitmani, ocorrendo simultaneamente na área de estudo. L. intermedia predominou no peridomicílio nos meses mais quentes do ano (dezembro, janeiro e fevereiro), enquanto L. whitmani teve maior densidade na plantação de banana e na mata e predominou nos meses mais frios (junho, julho e agosto), embora ambas tenham ocorrido durante todo o ano, revelando-se muito antropofílicas. Numa segunda avaliação, estudos sobre os ritmos de atividade desses dois vetores têm mostrado que L. intermedia é mais ativa no crepúsculo vespertino enquanto L. whitmani mostrou grande atividade à noite, sendo a principal espécie que picou o homem nas primeiras horas da manhã. Finalmente, foi analisada a correlação entre o ciclo lunar e a atividade dessas duas espécies, a qual demonstrou que as capturas com as armadilhas luminosas do tipo CDC atraem mais espécimes de L. intermedia e L.whitmani na lua nova, enquanto que capturas em isca humana foram mais bem sucedidas na lua cheia. Os resultados sugerem que L. intermedia e L. whitmani podem estar compartilhando do mecanismo de transmissão da LTA nesta área rural no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Nosso estudo vem demonstrando que a LTA nas áreas rurais do Estado pode apresentar um perfil epidemiológico diferente do que tem sido apontado nos estudos realizados na periferia da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.