Search for Leishmania spp. in sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from the municipality of Iúna, Espírito Santo

Abstract

This study evaluated the local fauna of phlebotomine vectors for American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL) in the rural region of Iúna, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Diptera catches encompassed five rural locations where ATL cases had previously been reported. The selection criteria for the installation of the traps were properties with a previous history of human clinical cases of ATL and the presence of dogs without clinical signs of the disease, but seropositive to Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis by the indirect ELISA technique. The collections were carried out with the aid of "CDC" type light traps (Centers for Diseases Controls) installed at 6:00 p.m. and collected at 06:00 a.m., totaling 336 operating hours. Among fourteen collection points, ten showed positive for the presence of sandflies, and a total of 1148 specimens were all processed and identified. The 60 females from positive collection point was submitted to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to evaluate the presence of the genus Leishmania spp. in the digestive tubes of Diptera. Three females were positive for nucleic acids of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. Among the 1148 phlebotomines, the species Migonemyia migonei was the one that presented the most abundant being responsible for 71.7% of the specimens, followed by Nyssomyia intermedia 21.5%, adding the other species captured 6.8%. Considering the vector capacity of Mg. migonei and Ny. intermedia, as well as their anthropophilic habits already described in the literature, we can suggest that these species may be acting as transmitters of ATL in the region.