Survey of sandfly vectors of leishmaniasis in Marambaia Island, municipality of Mangaratiba, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Introduction The influx and efflux of military personnel in the possible endemic areas of leishmaniasis provided the impetus for research on the sandflies on Marambaia Island. Methods Sandflies were collected with light traps installed in the 3 ecotypes of 3 areas chosen for their particular landscape aspects. Results In 2009, were collected 32,006 specimens of sandflies belonging to 13 species. The species that showed highest density were Nyssomyia intermedia and Migoneimyia migonei. Conclusions N. intermedia and M. migonei are the principal vectors of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) in Brazil; thus, extension studies related to the eco-epidemiology of these species of Marambaia Island are essential. .

Parasites in stool samples in the environment of Ilha da Marambaia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: an approach in public health.

This research aimed to describe the frequency of parasites in stool samples in the environment of Ilha da Marambaia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One hundred and five stool samples were collected and processed by the coproparasitological techniques ethyl acetate sedimentation and centrifuge-flotation using saturated sugar solution. Parasites were detected in 81.9% of the samples, hookworm being the most prevalent, followed by Trichuris vulpis. Ascaris sp. eggs were also found. A high level of evolutive forms of parasites with public health risk was found in stool samples of the environment studied. We propose that health education programs, allied to an improvement of human and animal health care, must be employed to reduce the environmental contamination.

Rare occurrence of gynandromorphism in Lutzomyia davisi (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Brazil.

Descriptions of morphological anomalies of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) have been recorded in both the New World and the Old World. The majority of these anomalies are associated with the genitalia, the number of cibarial teeth, wing venation, the size of the palps, and other less significant features. Such morphological variations, particularly in symmetry, can result in incorrect species identification. The occurrence of gynandromorphism in sand flies is a rare phenomenon. Currently, only five such cases have been registered in worldwide literature. In Brazil, only one report of gynandromorphism was observed in a specimen of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva 1912) from the state of the Ceará. We report here on the first known case of gynandromorphism in Lutzomyia davisi (Root 1934) captured in Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso state, Brazil.

[Prevalence of canine infection from endemic areas of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Paracambi District, Rio de Janeiro State, between 1992 and 1993]. / Prevalência da infecção canina em áreas endêmicas de leishmaniose tegumentar americana, do município de Paracambi, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, no período entre 1992 e 1993.

In the district of Paracambi, State of Rio de Janeiro an epidemiological survey for American tegumentary leishmaniasis in canine population was carried out in endemic localities. A total of 179 dogs was registered and 138 (77.1%) examined for their clinical aspects, development of delayed hypersensitivity (DHS) with Imunoleish(R) antigen and serological responses by indirect immunofluorescent reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In 9 (6.5%) dogs with active cutaneous lesions or suspect scars, 66.7% were caused by Leishmania sp; 44.4% produced infection in hamsters and showed growth in culture media, which was considered to be compatible with the species of Leishmania braziliensis complex. The molecular characterization (isoenzyme and KDNA restriction profiles) defined two strains with similar profiles for L. (Viannia) braziliensis. The prevalence of canine infection estimated by the cutaneous test, IFR and ELISA was 10.1%, 16.7% and 27.8%, respectively. The presence of clinical / sub-clinical form of ATL in canine population associated with human infections suggested that the dog can act as source of infection as well as for dissemination of the disease.

[Absence of Lutzomyia longipalpis in some endemic visceral leishmaniasis areas in Rio de Janeiro municipality]. / Ausência da Lutzomyia longipalpis em algumas áreas de ocorrência de leishmaniose visceral no Município do Rio de Janeiro.

The first autochthonous case of human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro was diagnosed in 1977. Since 1980, 54 autochthonous cases have been diagnosed in various locations, and since 1993 some 17 autochthonous human cases have been reported. Eight of these occurred in the neighborhood of Barra de Guaratiba and the others were distributed in the following neighborhoods: Camorim, Colônia, Grota Funda, Grumari, Ilha de Guaratiba, and Carapiá. From September 1996 to December 1999, phebotomine sandfly captures were performed at 18 sites on the mountainsides of the Pedra Branca Massif, in the Municipality, and a total of 18,303 specimens were collected, with a predominance of L. intermedia (87.33%), L. migonei (6.59%), L. longipalpis (3.10%), and L. firmatoi (1.90%). The species L. longipalpis predominated in Barra de Guaratiba (46.80%) and was absent from the other six locations where VL cases also occurred, suggesting the participation of other species like L. migonei and L. firmatoi, belonging to the same paraphyletic group of the vector species, in the VL transmission chain in the region.