Trypanosomatids in Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) From Anthropic and Sinantropic Landscapes in a Rural Settlement in the Brazilian Amazon.

Trypanosomatids (Kinetoplastida:Trypanosomatidae) protozoa are a diverse group of obligate parasites. The genera Trypanosoma and Leishmania are the most studied because of their medical importance. This work aims to evaluate the effects of anthropization processes on the composition of the phlebotomine sand fly fauna and the natural infection by Trypanosomatids, with emphasis on Leishmania. At all 3,186 sand flies were collected, distributed in 13 genera and 52 species, being Ny. umbratilis the most abundant species. There was no difference in the diversity between canopy and soil environments. The species abundance and richness were higher in the forest environment while species diversity and evenness were highest in the forest edge. The ITS1 region was used by PCR-RFLP to identify the fragment profiles of Leishmania species, followed by genetic sequencing. Here were analyzed 100 pools of female sand flies, being six positive for DNA parasite. PCR-RFLP fragment patterns similar to Endotrypanum sp. were observed in Nyssomyia anduzei, Psychodopygus amazonensis and Lutzomyia gomezi, and those fragments similar to Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis were observed in Bichromomyia flaviscutellata. ITS1 sequencing confirmed the presence of Leishmania sp. in Bi. flaviscutellata, and Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi in Ny. anduzei, Psychodopygus amazonensis, and Lu. gomezi. This is the first record of Lu. gomezi and Ps. amazonensis infection by L. naiffi in the State of Amazonas. These results show the trypanosomatid infection in sandflies from different landscapes in a rural settlement, and the finding of species infected with L.(V.) naiffi suggest that they can develop a role in the transmission cycle of leishmaniasis.

A morphologically distinct Phlebotomus argentipes population from active cutaneous leishmaniasis foci in central Sri Lanka

Although the reported aetiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka is Leishmania donovani, the sandfly vector remains unknown. Ninety-five sandflies, 60 females and 35 males, collected in six localities in the district of Matale, central Sri Lanka, close to current active transmission foci of CL were examined for taxonomically relevant characteristics. Eleven diagnostic morphological characters for female sandflies were compared with measurements described for Indian and Sri Lankan sandflies, including the now recognised Phlebotomus argentipes sensu lato species complex. The mean morphometric measurements of collected female sandflies differed significantly from published values for P. argentipes morphospecies B, now re-identified as Phlebotomus annandalei from Delft Island and northern Sri Lanka, from recently re-identified P. argentipes s.s. sibling species and from Phlebotomus glaucus. Furthermore, analysis of underlying variation in the morphometric data through principal component analysis also illustrated differences between the population described herein and previously recognised members of the P. argentipes species complex. Collectively, these results suggest that a morphologically distinct population, perhaps most closely related to P. glaucus of the P. argentipess. I. species complex, exists in areas of active CL transmission. Thus, research is required to determine the ability of this population of flies to transmit cutaneous leishmaniasis.