Visceral Leishmaniasis and Natural Infection Rates of Leishmania in Lutzomyia longipalpis in Latin America

The main vector for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil is Lutzomyia longipalpis. However, the absence of L. longipalpis in a region of autochthonous VL demonstrates the participation of other species in the transmission of the parasite. Studies conducted in La Banda, Argentina, and São Vicente Férrer, Pernambuco State, Brazil, have correlated the absence of L. longipalpisand the presence of L. migonei with autochthonous cases of VL. In São Vicente Férrer, Pernambuco, there was evidence for the natural infection of L. migonei with Leishmania infantum chagasi. Thus, the objective of this work was to assess the ecology of the sand flies L. longipalpis and L. migonei in Fortaleza, an endemic area for VL. Insect capture was conducted at 22 sampling points distributed across four regions of Fortaleza. In total, 32,403 sand flies were captured; of these, 18,166 (56%) were identified as L. longipalpis and 14,237 (44%) as L. migonei. There were significant density differences found between the vectors at each sampling site (indoors and outdoors) (p <0.0001). These findings confirm that L. migonei and L. longipalpis are distributed throughout Fortaleza, where they have adapted to an indoor environment, and suggest that L. migonei may share the role as a vector with L. longipalpis in the transmission of VL in Fortaleza.

Download Full-text

Natural infection of phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a visceral-leishmaniasis focus in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo ◽

10.1590/s0036-46652007000200011 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 119-122 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

João Cezar do Nascimento ◽

Byanca Regina de Paiva ◽

Rosely dos Santos Malafronte ◽

Wedson Desidério Fernandes ◽

Eunice Aparecida Bianchi Galati

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Leishmania Species ◽

Common Species ◽

The Other ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Leishmania Chagasi ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Negative Results ◽

Mato Grosso Do Sul

The main purpose of this study was to investigate natural infection by Leishmania in phlebotomine females in a visceral-leishmaniasis focus in Antonio João county in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Between June and October 2003, the digestive tracts of 81 females captured in Aldeia Campestre, Aldeia Marangatu and Povoado Campestre were dissected. The females were separated by species, location, area and date of capture into 13 groups and kept in ethanol 70%. To identify the Leishmania species using the PCR technique, amplifications of the ribosomal-DNA (rDNA) and mini-exon genes were analyzed. Of the 81 specimens, 77 (95%) were Lutzomyia longipalpis, making this the most common species; only one specimen of each of the species Brumptomyia avellari, Evandromyia cortelezzii, Evandromyia lenti and Nyssomyia whitmani was found. Trypanosomatids were identified in eight of the nine groups of Lutzomyia longipalpis (10.39%) one group from Aldeia Campestre, one from Aldeia Marangatu and six from Povoado Campestre; of the eight groups, one from Aldeia Marangatu and another, with promastigotes forms also confirmed by dissection (1.23%) from Povoado Campestre, were identified by PCR as Leishmania chagasi (2.6%). The other groups gave negative results. These findings indicate that there is a high risk of leishmaniasis transmission in this area.

Download Full-text

Entomological Studies in Itaúna, Brazil, an Area With Visceral Leishmaniasis Transmission: Fauna Survey, Natural Leishmania Infection, and Molecular Characterization of the Species Circulating in Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae)

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjz061 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 56 (5) ◽

pp. 1368-1376 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Josiane V Lopes ◽

Erika M Michalsky ◽

Nathalia C L Pereira ◽

Adão J V de Paula ◽

Fabiana O Lara-Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Local Population ◽

Influential Factor ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Health Concern ◽

Leishmania Infection ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Phlebotomine Sand Flies

Abstract Among neglected tropical diseases, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) shows great relevance in global terms and is a serious public health concern due to the possibility of severe and lethal forms in humans. In this study, we evaluate entomological factors such as diversity and abundance of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera:Psychodidae) and the Leishmania species circulating in these species in possible association with VL transmission in the Brazilian town Itaúna. The entomological collections were performed during three consecutive nights, always in the third week of each month, within a period of 12 mo. A total of 1,786 sand fly specimens were collected, from which 20% were collected inside houses. The influence of three local climatic variables (temperature, rainfall, relative humidity) on the population sizes of these insects was evaluated. Temperature was the most influential factor, with a significant positive correlation with the local population size of phlebotomine sand flies collected per month. Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) was the predominant species in the study area. Leishmania DNA was detected in nine out of 133 pools of sand fly females, using nested/PCR, which resulted in a minimal natural infection rate of 2.91%. DNA from Leishmania infantum Nicolle, 1908 (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatida), was detected in Evandromyia cortelezzii (Bréthes, 1923), Ev. evandroi (Costa, Lima & Antunes, 1936), Ev. lenti (Mangabeira, 1938), and Ev. termitophila (Martins, Falcão & Silva, 1964), besides Lu. longipalpis. Our study indicates favorable conditions for VL spreading in Itaúna due to the presence of Lu. longipalpis and Le. infantum-infected phlebotomine sand flies.

Download Full-text

Lutzomyia longipalpis naturally infected by Leishmania (L.) chagasi in Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, an area of intense transmission of visceral leishmaniasis

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2010001200020 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 26 (12) ◽

pp. 2414-2419 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Nanci A. Missawa ◽

Érika Monteiro Michalsky ◽

Consuelo Latorre Fortes-Dias ◽

Edelberto Santos Dias

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction Amplification ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Rflp Analysis ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Phlebotomine Sand Flies ◽

Leishmania Spp ◽

Reaction Amplification

The American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) is caused by parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania (Trypanosomatidae) and is transmitted to humans through the bite of certain species of infected phlebotomine sand flies. In this study, we investigated the natural infection ratio of Lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector species of AVL in Brazil, in Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso State. Between July 2004 and June 2006, phlebotomine sand flies were captured in peridomestic areas using CDC light-traps. Four hundred and twenty (420) specimens of Lu. longipalpis were captured. 42 pools, containing 10 specimens of Lu. longipalpis each, were used for genomic DNA extraction and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification. Leishmania spp. DNA was detected in three out of the 42 pools tested, resulting in a minimal infection ratio of 0.71%. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis indicated that Leishmania (L.) chagasi was the infective agent in the positive pools.

Download Full-text

Detection of Pintomyia fischeri (Diptera: Psychodidae) With Leishmania infantum (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) Promastigotes in a Focus of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjaa199 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fredy Galvis-Ovallos ◽

Adriele Eiko Ueta ◽

Gabriella de Oliveira Marques ◽

Ana Maria Casagrande Sarmento ◽

Gabriela Araujo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Leishmania Infantum ◽

Species Complex ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Metropolitan Region ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Vector Surveillance

Abstract Visceral leishmaniasis is spreading in Brazil where the main vector of its agent, Leishmania infantum Nicolle, 1908, is the Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) species complex (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), on which many of the activities of the visceral leishmaniasis surveillance program are based. However, there are areas where canine, and/or human cases have been occurring without the presence of this species complex as in the western part of the Greater São Paulo Metropolitan region, where Embu das Artes municipality is situated. In this area, Pintomyia fischeri (Pinto, 1926) has been implicated as potential vector of Le. infantum but so far its natural infection with this parasite has not yet been ascertained. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate the natural infection in sand flies of a CVL focus in Embu das Artes. The sand fly collections were undertaken with Shannon and CDC traps, monthly, between 1800 and 2100 hours from November 2018 to October 2019, inclusive. A total of 951 sand flies (457 males and 494 females), belonging to 10 species, were captured. Pintomyia fischeri was the predominant species (89.5%); of which 426 females were dissected and one of them (0.23%) was found to be harboring flagellates in its midgut. A sample of these flagellates was isolated in culture and characterized by a 234 base pair fragment of Leishmania heat-shock protein 70 gene (hsp70) and restriction fragment length polymorphism with Hae III restriction enzyme as Le. infantum. This finding reinforces previous evidence of Pi. fischeri as a vector of Le. infantum in foci of visceral leishmaniasis and highlights the importance of vector surveillance in areas where this species occurs.

Download Full-text

Contribution to the Knowledgment of Feeding Habbits of Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) Longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) in Association to Natural Infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) Infantum Chagasi (Cunha & Chagas, 1937)

10.21203/rs.3.rs-27579/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Margarete dos Santos Afonso Afonso ◽

Sérgio Augusto de Miranda Chaves ◽

Daniela de Pita Pereira ◽

Elizabeth Ferreira Rangel

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Human Blood ◽

Rio De Janeiro ◽

Food Source ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Food Sources ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

General Index ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

New Habitats

Abstract Background: Brazil faces the expansion and urbanization of American Visceral Leishmaniasis. The presence of the vector in the urban area is one of the major challenges of the Brazilian Program for Control of Visceral Leishmaniasis, which refers the need for a better understanding the behavior of Lutzomyia longipalpis, as well as the factors of its adaptation to new habitats. The aim of the study was to combine diagnostic molecular tools capable to identifying natural infection by Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi and the origin of food sources in L. longipalpis.Methods: The specimens were captured in the municipalities of Araguaína/Tocantins, Fortaleza/Ceará, Sobral/Ceará, and Rio de Janeiro/Rio de Janeiro. Molecular diagnoses were performed through Polymerase Chain Reaction using primers that amplify kinetoplast deoxyribonucleic acid in Leishmania sp. and the cacophony gene in phlebotomines for the diagnosis of natural infection, primers that amplify the cytochrome b gene, in addition to the sequencing technique, for the study of alimentary habit.Results: Among the analyzed females, 28.6% were diagnosed in the food evaluation. Among the total of 141 samples that were analyzed, showed a higher positivity for the human food source (62.5%), followed by dogs (27.5%) and birds (10%). In Araguaína, the samples showed positivity for human blood (61.5%) and dogs (38.5%). In Fortaleza and Sobral, specimens showed a positive percentage for human blood (54.5% and 66.7%), followed by dogs (27.3% and 20.0%) and birds (18.2% and 13.3%). In the females of Rio de Janeiro was detected exclusive feeding of human blood. In the natural infection, a general index of positivity was obtained equal to 4.3%. When associated, detection of the power source and natural infection, two infected specimens were found in Araguaína, with dog and human feeding; and in Sobral, 3 specimens infected and positive for human blood.Conclusions: The results corroborate with studies that demonstrate the eclecticism and food opportunism of L. longipalpis, as well as their occurrence in several environments, which are determinant factors of the important process of domiciliary vectorization. The low positivity feeding on human blood may suggest that other mammals, possibly rodents, would be acting as a food source.

Download Full-text

Natural infection of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Cembrene-1 population) with Leishmania infantum in a new visceral leishmaniasis focus in the eastern region of São Paulo State, Brazil.

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical ◽

10.1590/0037-8682-0586-2020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

Author(s):

Mariana Dantas da Silva ◽

Fredy Galvis-Ovallos ◽

Claudio Casanova ◽

Vanessa Gusmon da Silva ◽

João Augusto Franco Leonel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Leishmania Infantum ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Eastern Region ◽

São Paulo ◽

Paulo State ◽

São Paulo State

Download Full-text

Natural infection by Leishmania infantum in the Lutzomyia longipalpis population of an endemic coastal area to visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil is not associated with bioclimatic factors

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0007626 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. e0007626 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Tiago Feitosa Mota ◽

Orlando Marcos Farias de Sousa ◽

Yuri de Jesus Silva ◽

Lairton Souza Borja ◽

Bruna Martins Macedo Leite ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Coastal Area ◽

Leishmania Infantum ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis

Download Full-text

Canine visceral leishmaniasis in riverside communities of the Cuiabá river watershed

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2019v40n6supl2p3313 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (6Supl2) ◽

pp. 3313

Author(s):

Valéria Régia Franco Sousa ◽

Álvaro Felipe de Lima Ruy Dias ◽

Juliana Yuki Rodrigues ◽

Mariana de Medeiros Torres ◽

Janaína Marcela Assunção Rosa Moreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Axenic Culture ◽

Antibody Test ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

River Watershed

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic zoonosis expanding in Brazil. Several municipalities in the state of Mato Grosso including those on the river Cuiabá have reported the incidence of both human and canine cases and the identification of sandfly vector, Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lu. cruzi. Dogs are considered the main reservoir of Leishmania chagasi in the urban areas, hence, we devised a cross-sectional study aimed at assessing the prevalence of the infection in the dogs of riverside communities on Cuiabá River watershed by parasitological (parasitic isolation in culture), serological, and molecular methods. Of the 248 surveyed dogs, 24 were positive in enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), with a prevalence of 9.7%. The riverside communities located in the town of Santo Antonio do Leverger displayed a higher prevalence of the disease than the cities of Cuiabá and Várzea Grande; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Dogs born in the communities had a 3.24-fold higher risk of acquiring the infection. Promastigote were isolated in the axenic culture from the bone marrow samples and intact skin. Further, DNA of Leishmania sp. was detected in the bone marrow samples, lymph nodes, leukocyte cover, and skin of only one examined dog. These samples were sequenced and they showed 99% homology to L. infantum. To conclude, we observed a higher prevalence of infection in Riverside communities of Santo Antonio do Leverger and the confirmation of autochthony in these areas justifies the surveillance actions to minimise the risk of transmission within the riverine community itself, besides its dissemination to other areas by tourism.

Download Full-text