Detection of multiple circulating Leishmania species in Lutzomyia longipalpis in the city of Governador Valadares, southeastern Brazil.

Leishmaniasis encompasses a group of diverse clinical diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. This disease is a major public health problem in the New World affecting people exposed in endemic regions. The city of Governador Valadares (Minas Gerais/Brazil) is a re-emerging area for visceral leishmaniasis, with 191 human cases reported from 2008 to 2017 and a lethality rate of 14.7%. The transmission of the parasite occurs intensely in this region with up to 22% of domestic dogs with positive serology for the visceral form. Lu. longipalpis is one of the most abundant sand fly species in this area. Despite this scenario, so far there is no information regarding the circulating Leishmania species in the insect vector Lutzomyia longipalpis in this focus. We collected 616 female Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies between January and September 2015 in the Vila Parque Ibituruna neighborhood (Governador Valadares/MG), which is located on a transitional area between the sylvatic and urban environments with residences built near a preserved area. After DNA extraction of individual sand flies, the natural Leishmania infections in Lu. longipalpis were detected by conventional PCR, using primers derived from kDNA sequences, specific for L. (Leishmania) or L. (Viannia) subgenus. The sensitivity of these PCR reactions was 0.1 pg of DNA for each Leishmania subgenus and the total infection rate of 16.2% (100 positive specimens). Species-specific PCR detected the presence of multiple Leishmania species in infected Lu. longipalpis specimens in Governador Valadares, including L. amazonensis (n = 3), L. infantum (n = 28), L. (Viannia) spp. (n = 20), coinfections with L. infantum and L. (Viannia) spp. (n = 5), and L. (Leishmania) spp (n = 44). Our results demonstrate that multiple Leishmania species circulate in Lu. longipalpis in Governador Valadares and reveal a potential increasing risk of transmission of the different circulating parasite species. This information reinforces the need for epidemiological and entomological surveillance in this endemic focus, and the development of effective control strategies against leishmaniasis.

Presence of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Parque Estadual da Serra da Tiririca, State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil.

INTRODUCTION:: The sand fly, Lutzomyia longipalpis, is the main vector of Leishmania infantum in the Americas, primarily occurring in areas of apparent anthropomorphic modifications in several regions of Brazil. METHODS: Sand flies were captured using light traps. RESULTS: Out of all captured species, Lu. longipalpis numbers had increased within the park. CONCLUSIONS: We report the occurrence of Lu. longipalpis in an area of Atlantic Forest, possibly representing the first sylvatic population of Lu. longipalpis in an area absent of peridomestic captures, but with the risk of L. infantum transmission in the areas of Niterói and Maricá.

Avaliação de uma nova estratégia de controle de Lutzomyia longipalpis (DIPTERA: PSYCHODIDAE), vetor da Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum / Evaluation of a new control strategy of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: psychodidae), vector of leishmania (leishmania) infantum

Lutzomyia longipalpis é considerado um complexo de espécies capaz de produzirdiferentes quimiotipos de feromônios. A borrifação de inseticida residual para controle deflebotomíneos tem sido incapaz de impedir a propagação da Leishmaniose VisceralAmericana (LVA) no Brasil. Desta forma, novas abordagens com um bom custo-benefíciosão necessárias para controlar populações de Lu. Longipalpis. Mosquiteiros Impregnados deLonga Duração (MILD) oferecem uma nova estratégia de controle e pode ser umaalternativa para borrifação em locais de agregação, tais como galinheiros, fixados em suassuperfícies. O feromônio sintético (±) -9-metilgermacreno-B pode aumentar a atração de Lu.longipalpis em ambientes naturais. Neste estudo, testamos duas estratégias potenciais parao controle de Lu. longipalpis utilizando o feromônio sintético em conjunto com MILDs, com oefeito de "atrair e matar" o vetor no mesmo local. Este estudo foi realizado em GovernadorValadares, Minas Gerais, município de ocorrência de LVA Brasil. Experimentos de campoforam realizados em galinheiros experimentais para comparar a eficácia e efeito residual deinseticidas e mosquiteiros impregnados na mortalidade de Lu. longipalpis, associandoambos os tratamentos com feromônio sintético. Este estudo mostrou que o mosquiteiroimpregnado e a borrifação mataram aproximadamente 100% dos flebotomíneos em até 2meses após os tratamentos. Após 4 meses, o efeito letal do mosquiteiro impregnado reduziupara 69% e inseticida residual para 89%. Concluímos que o MILD é uma ferramentapotencial para matar flebotomíneos em locais de agregação, e o feromônio sintético podeaumentar a sua eficácia atraindo mais insetos para serem mortos pelo mosquiteiro. Maistestes de campo por um longo período são necessários para identificar a viabilidade detratamento de superfícies com mosquiteiros impregnados como parte do programa decontrole da leishmaniose visceral.

Lutzomyia longipalpis is considered a species complex with variability in pheromonesproduction. The residual insecticide spraying to control sand flies have been unable toprevent the spread of the American visceral Leishmaniasis (AVL) across Brazil. In this way,new cost-effective approaches are needed to manage populations of the vector Lu.Longipalpis. Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) offer a new control strategy and can bean alternative of spraying on aggregation sites, such as chicken sheds, fixed in theirsurfaces. The synthetic pheromone (±) -9-methylgermacrene-B can increase attraction of Lu.longipalpis in natural environments. Here, we test two potential strategies for Lu. longipalpiscontrol using the synthetic pheromone in conjunction with LLINs, with the effect of “attractingand killing" the vector at the same site. This study was conducted in Governador Valadares,Minas Gerais, a municipality of the occurrence of AVL in Brazil. Field experiments wereperformed with experimental chicken sheds to compare the efficacy and residual effect ofinsecticide spraying and impregnated netting in Lu. Longipalpis mortality, associating bothtreatments with synthetic pheromone. This study showed that the impregnated netting andspraying killed approximately 100% of sandflies in up to 2 months after treatment. After 4months of exposure treatments, the lethal effect of netting reduced to approximately 69%and residual insecticide to 89%. We concluded that insecticide impregnated netting is apotential tool in killing sand flies in aggregation sites, and synthetic pheromone can increasetheir effectiveness attracting more sand flies to be killed by netting. More field trials for a longperiod are needed to identify the feasibility of treating surfaces with impregnated netting aspart of visceral leishmaniasis control program.

The sandfly fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) of the Parque Estadual da Serra da Tiririca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in the state of Rio de Janeiro is sporadic and can be characterised as a peridomestic transmission that occurs in modified natural environments. The aim of this work was to study the fauna and ecological characteristics of sandflies in an environmentally protected area (the State Park of Serra da Tiririca) within the remnants of the Atlantic Forest in the municipalities of Niterói and Maricá and their possible relationship with leishmaniasis. Captures were performed using light traps during the night once a month for one year in both sylvatic environments and areas surrounding homes near the park. A total of 1,037 sandflies were captured, belonging to nine genera and 12 species: Evandromyia tupynambai (34.1%), Migonemyia migonei (20.6%), Brumptomyia cunhai (13.8%), Micropygomyia schreiberi (9.7%), Psathyromyia lanei (6.5%), Brumptomyia nitzulescui (5.7%), Evandromyia edwardsi (5.4%), Nyssomyia intermedia (2.8%), Evandromyia cortelezzii (0.6%), Pintomyia bianchigalatiae (0.5%), Lutzomyia longipalpis (0.2%) and Sciopemyia microps (0.1%). Both Mg. migonei and Ny. intermedia may be acting as vectors of CL in this area.