Sand fly population dynamics in areas of American cutaneous leishmaniasis, Municipality of Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The present study is the second and last part of the study that investigated the fauna and behavior of sand flies in areas prone to cutaneous leishmaniasis outbreaks, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, in the municipality of Paraty. To collect the sand flies, CDC and Shannon light traps were used, installed in the peridomiciliary and forest areas, and manual suction tubes on the walls of the home and in the animal shelters. A total of 102,937 sand flies, belonging to nine genera and 23 species were captured from October 2009 to September 2012. Regarding the monthly frequency of sand flies, the period of highest density was from November to March, with a maximum peak in January. The lowest density was observed in June and July. In the studied area, the species of epidemiological importance, Nyssomyia intermedia, Pintomyia fischeri, Migonemyia migonei and Nyssomyia whitmani, were found in all months of the year, a period in which residents may be in contact with these vectors of the etiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Ecology of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A study of the sand fly fauna was carried out in the endemic area ofAmerican cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in the Municipality of Mesquita, State of Rio de Janeiro, in an area where dwellings (with humans and dogs infected by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis) have been recently visited by sloths. Weekly captures were made during two consecutive years in two different sites (1 m and 600 m above sea level) and in three different habitats in each site (domestic, extra-domestic and sylvatic) using CDC light traps and Shannon traps. The following species were identified: Brumptomyia (Brumptomyia) guimaraesi, B. (B.) nitzulescui, Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) longipalpis, L. migonei, L. serrana, L. (Psathyromyia) lutziana, L. barrettoi, L. (Nyssomyia) intermedia, L. (N.) whitmani, L. (Mycropygomyia) schireiberi, L. quinquefer, L. sallesi, L. (Psychodopygus) ayrozai, L. pascalei, L. (Pintomyia) bianchigalatiae and L. lanei. The collection of B. guimaraesi and B. nitzulescui species indicates the proximity of the study area to the sylvatic habitat. Two important suspected vectors of ACL were found: L. intermedia and L. migonei. L. longipalpis, a proven vector of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL), was also found in this area. L. intermedia, the predominant sand fly species, was collected by both methods of capture and in the three different sites. It was observed biting man inside houses, but it was less anthropophilic in the sylvatic habitat. Our observations suggest that altitude does not influence the dispersion of L. intermedia population in the Municipality of Mesquita. The data indicate that L. intermedia remains as a putative vector of Leishmania (V.) braziliensis in this locality. An hypothesis of a sylvatic transmission cycle in the area and its correlation with the domestic cycle are discussed in the present paper.

Aspects of the ecology of phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in an area of cutaneous leishmaniasis occurrence, municipality of Angra dos Reis, coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

Over a complete two-year period, phlebotomine specimens were caught in an area of cutaneous leishmaniasis occurrence in the municipality of Angra dos Reis. A manual suction tube was used to catch phlebotomines on house walls, and also light traps in domestic and peridomestic settings and in the forest. This yielded 14,170 specimens of 13 species: two in the genus Brumptomyia and eleven in the genus Lutzomyia. L. intermedia predominantly in domestic and peridomestic settings, with little presence in the forest, with the same trend being found in relation to L. migonei, thus proving that these species have adapted to the human environment. L. fischeri appeared to be eclectic regarding location, but was seen to be proportionally more endophilic. L. intermedia and L. migonei were more numerous in peridomestic settings, throughout the year, while L. fischeri was more numerous in domestic settings except in March, April, May and September. From the prevalence of L. intermedia, its proven anthropophily and findings of this species naturally infected with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, it can be incriminated as the main vector for this agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the study area, especially in the peridomestic environment. L. fischeri may be a coadjuvant in carrying the parasite.