Ecological aspects of the Phlebotominae fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Xakriabá Indigenous Reserve, Brazil.

Felipe Rêgo,Paloma Helena Shimabukuro,Gabriel Tonelli,Ricardo Barata,Célia Maria Gontijo,Igor Coelho,Patrícia Quaresma,Edelberto Dias,Kelly Medrado Silva

doi:10.1186/1756-3305-7-220

Abstract

BackgroundSand fly collections were performed to study ecological aspects of the Phlebotominae fauna of the Xakriabá Indigenous Reserve, an area with endemic cutaneous leishmaniasis, located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.MethodsThe collections were performed in peridomicile areas and along trails previously selected for the study of wild and synanthropic Leishmania hosts. Differences in the distribution patterns of the sand fly species as well as in species richness and abundance between the different ecotopes were investigated during both rainy and dry seasons over the course of the study period.ResultsA total of 8,046 sand flies belonging to 11 genera and 28 species were collected. Lutzomyia longipalpis and Nyssomyia intermedia were the most abundant species in peridomicile areas, whereas Martinsmyia minasensis and Lutzomyia cavernicola were the most abundant species among the different trail ecotopes.ConclusionThe different composition of the sand fly fauna observed in the peridomicile areas and in the trails during the study, reinforces the importance of sampled different areas in a phlebotomine fauna survey. The presence of Lutzomyia longipalpis and Ny. Intermedia most abundant in peridomicile can be important to Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis transmission in the Imbaúbas native village.

Highlights

Sand fly collections were performed to study ecological aspects of the Phlebotominae fauna of the Xakriabá Indigenous Reserve, an area with endemic cutaneous leishmaniasis, located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Cases of leishmaniasis within indigenous lands in Brazil were first reported in the state of Mato Grosso [15], who reported a large number of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) cases among the Waurá Amerindians from Alto Xingu
This study was conducted in the Imbaúbas native village, which had both a high prevalence of human leishmaniasis cases and a number of wild, synanthropic and domestic animal species known to carry Leishmania [22] and was conducted under authorization by FUNAI (National Indian Foundation – Protocol Number: 2098/08)

Summary

Introduction

Sand fly collections were performed to study ecological aspects of the Phlebotominae fauna of the Xakriabá Indigenous Reserve, an area with endemic cutaneous leishmaniasis, located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Sand flies are distributed worldwide, they are most abundant in Neotropical regions, where a large number of species can be found [7]. Cases of leishmaniasis within indigenous lands in Brazil were first reported in the state of Mato Grosso [15], who reported a large number of ACL cases among the Waurá Amerindians from Alto Xingu. The prevalence of ACL in the Xakriabá Indigenous Reserve (XIR), state of Minas Gerais were reported [19]. The role of sandflies in the transmission cycle of Leishmania within indigenous land has been reported in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso [20] and Mato Grosso do Sul [21]

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