Abstract
BackgroundPhlebotomines are a group of insects which include vectors of the Leishmania parasites that cause visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), diseases primarily affecting populations of low socioeconomic status. VL in Brazil is caused by Leishmania infantum, with transmission mainly attributed to Lutzomyia longipalpis, a species complex of sand fly, and is concentrated mainly in the northeastern part of the country. CL is distributed worldwide and occurs in five regions of Brazil, at a higher incidence in the north and northeast regions, with etiological agents, vectors, reservoirs and epidemiological patterns that differ from VL. The aim of this study was to determine the composition, distribution and ecological relationships of phlebotomine species in an Atlantic Forest conservation unit and nearby residential area in northeastern Brazil.MethodsCenters for Disease Control and Shannon traps were used for collections, the former at six points inside the forest and in the peridomestic environment of surrounding residences, three times per month for 36 months, and the latter in a forest area, once a month for 3 months. The phlebotomines identified were compared with climate data using simple linear correlation, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and cross-correlation. The estimate of ecological parameters was calculated according to the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, standardized index of species abundance and the dominance index.ResultsA total of 75,499 phlebotomines belonging to 11 species were captured in the CDC traps, the most abundant being Evandromyia walkeri, Psychodopygus wellcomei and Lu. longipalpis. Evandromyia walkeri abundance was most influenced by temperature at collection time and during the months preceding collection and rainfall during the months preceding collection. Psychodopygus wellcomei abundance was most affected by rainfall and relative humidity during the collection month and the month immediately preceding collection time. Lutzomyia longipalpis abundance showed a correlation with temperature and the rainfall during the months preceding collection time. The Shannon trap contained a total of 3914 phlebotomines from these different species. Psychodopygus wellcomei, accounting for 91.93% of the total, was anthropophilic and active mainly at night.ConclusionsMost of the species collected in the traps were seasonal and exhibited changes in their composition and population dynamics associated with local adaptions. The presence of vectors Ps. wellcomei and Lu. longipalpis underscore the epidemiological importance of these phlebotomines in the conservation unit and surrounding anthropized areas. Neighboring residential areas should be permanently monitored to prevent VL or CL transmission and outbreaks.Graphical
Highlights
Phlebotomines are a group of insects which include vectors of the Leishmania parasites that cause visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), diseases primarily affecting populations of low socioeco‐ nomic status
In Brazil, VL is caused by Leishmania infantum, whose main vector is the phlebotomine Lutzomyia longipalpis [1], while CL has different vectors and etiologic agents, the principal vectors being Nyssomyia whitmani, Nyssomyia intermedia, Nyssomyia neivai, Migonemyia migonei and Psychodopygus wellcomei [2, 5,6,7,8]
The expansion of human activities, with environmental impacts and changes in land use, produces new potentially occupiable niches, affects fauna composition and the vector reservoir and parasite behavior, in addition to their interrelationships, which may lead to changes in local leishmaniasis epidemiology. This species abundance study reveals the predominance of Ev. walkeri in the forest and anthropized areas, followed by Ps. wellcomei, which exhibited the same distribution pattern, predominantly in the rainy season
Summary
Phlebotomines are a group of insects which include vectors of the Leishmania parasites that cause visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), diseases primarily affecting populations of low socioeco‐ nomic status. The leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by several species of etiologic agents of the genus Leishmania. Phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) are small insects, and the hematophagous females of some phlebotomine species are responsible for transmitting protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania, known vectors of the leishmaniases, resulting in diseases that exhibit a series of clinical manifestations with a potential risk of death. In Brazil, VL is caused by Leishmania infantum, whose main vector is the phlebotomine Lutzomyia longipalpis [1], while CL has different vectors and etiologic agents, the principal vectors being Nyssomyia whitmani, Nyssomyia intermedia, Nyssomyia neivai, Migonemyia migonei and Psychodopygus wellcomei [2, 5,6,7,8]. Leishmania braziliensis is the most widely distributed etiologic agent in the country and is the primary culprit in cases of CL in northeastern Brazil [5]
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