title: Natural infection of Lutzomyia tortura with Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi in an Amazonian area of Ecuador.
abstract: Natural infection of sand flies with Leishmania parasites was surveyed in an Amazonian area in Ecuador where leishmaniasis is endemic. Seventy-one female sand flies were dissected and one was positive for Leishmania protozoa. The species of this sand fly was identified as Lutzomyia (Lu.) tortura on the basis of morphologic characteristics. Analysis of the cytochrome b gene sequence identified the parasite as L. (Viannia) naiffi. We report the distribution of L. (V.) naiffi in Ecuador and detection of a naturally infected sand fly in the Ecuadorian Amazon and natural infection of Lu. tortura with Leishmania parasites in the New World.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Hygiene, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan. katoh@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hirotomo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Eduardo A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: Yu-ichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calvopiña
authors.forename: Angel G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Guevara
authors.forename: Jorge D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.forename: Paola A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashiguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D004484:Ecuador; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D045303:Cytochromes b