Abstract
Autochthonous cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) have been reported since 2001 in the Xakriabá Indigenous Reserve located in the municipality of São João das Missões in northern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. In order to study the presence of Leishmania DNA in phlebotomine sand flies, six entomological collections were carried out from July 2008 through July 2009, using 40 light traps placed in peridomicile areas of 20 randomly selected houses. From October 2011 through August 2012, another six collections were carried out with 20 light traps distributed among four trails (five traps per trail) selected for a previous study of wild and synanthropic hosts of Leishmania. A total of 4,760 phlebotomine specimens were collected belonging to ten genera and twenty-three species. Single female specimens or pools with up to ten specimens of the same locality, species and date, for Leishmania detection by molecular methods. Species identification of parasites was performed with ITS1 PCR-RFLP using HaeIII enzyme and genetic sequencing for SSU rRNA target. The presence of Leishmania DNA was detected in eleven samples from peridomicile areas: Lu. longipalpis (two), Nyssomyia intermedia (four), Lu. renei (two), Lu. ischnacantha, Micropygomyia goiana and Evandromyia lenti (one pool of each specie). The presence of Leishmania DNA was detected in twelve samples from among the trails: Martinsmyia minasensis (six), Ny. intermedia (three), Mi. peresi (two) and Ev. lenti (one). The presence of Leishmania infantum DNA in Lu. longipalpis and Leishmania braziliensis DNA in Ny. intermediasupport the epidemiological importance of these species of sand flies in the cycle of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, respectively. The results also found other species associated with Leishmania DNA, such as Mt. minasensis and Ev. lenti, which may participate in a wild and/or synanthropic cycle of Leishmania transmission in the studied area.
Highlights
Leishmaniases are endemic in many countries where they are considered an important public health problem
Expansion of the geographic distribution of leishmaniasis has been reported in several Brazilian states, including Minas Gerais (MG) where American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is endemic and widely distributed
The LnPCR detected Leishmania DNA in eleven samples (4.1%) belonging to Ny. intermedia, Lu. renei, Lu. longipalpis and one sample of each following species: Lu. ischnacantha, Mi. goiana and Ev. lenti
Summary
Leishmaniases are endemic in many countries where they are considered an important public health problem. Several species of sand flies (Phlebotaminae) have been associated with species of Leishmania in MG, such as: Ny. intermedia [14]; Lu. longipalpis [10,14], Ny. whitmani [14]; Ny. neivai [15], Pintomyia fischeri, Pi. pessoai, Psychodopygus lloydi and Ps. hirsutus [16,17,18]. In addition to these reports other phlebotomine species, whose epidemiological significance remains unclear, have been found associated with species of Leishmania, such as: Ev. cortellezzi [19], Ev. sallesi, Ev. termitophila [14,15], Ev. lenti, Pi. christenseni, Pi. monticola, Psathyromyia aragaoi and Ps. lutziana [16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
