[Lutzomyia antunesi as suspected vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Orinoquian region of Colombia].
OBJECTIVE
Identifying probable cutaneous leishmaniasis vectors in a rural area a few kilometres from the city of Villavicencio, taking the relative abundance of sand-flies and their natural infection with Leishmania spphaving into account.


METHODS
A CDC trap was used for sampling sand-flies in and around 15 dwellings. Pools of three females from the most abundant Lutzomyia species were used for identifying Leishmania spp. by PCR, with OL1 and OL2 primers.


RESULTS
1 304 sand-flies from nine species were captured, of which L. antunesi (75,6 %) and L. walkeri (19,2 %) were the most abundant. These was a low abundance of L. panamensis and L. gomezi anthropophilic species (<2,4 %). PCR detected Leishmania spp. infection in two L. antunesi groups (total=123 processed females).


CONCLUSIONS
Due to the fact that L. antunesi was the most abundant species and was found to have Leishmania infection, it may be considered to be the main suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis vector in the rural area being studied. It is recommended that detailed studies of this species' biology (including biting and resting behaviour) should be carried out, aimed at furthering vector control measures.
Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de los Llanos, Villavicencio, Colombia. adolfomvz@yahoo.es
Adolfo
A
Vásquez-Trujillo
Erika
E
Santamaría-Herreño
Angélica E
AE
González-Reina
Luz S
LS
Buitrago-Alvarez
Agustín
A
Góngora-Orjuela
Olga L
OL
Cabrera-Quintero
D000818:Animals; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D012424:Rural Population