title: Analysis of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Barra do Garças, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and the influence of environmental variables on the vector density of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leishmaniasis is an infectious and parasitic zoonotic, non-contagious, vector-borne disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. In Brazil, the major vector of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi (Cunha & Chagas, 1934) is Lutzomyia longipalpis. Barra do Garças, State of Mato Grosso, was designated as a priority area by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for american visceral leishmaniasis, and it is important to identify the vector species present in this municipality. Our objective was to raise sandflies and study the influence of environmental variables on the vector density of Lutzomyia longipalpis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed entomological monitoring in 3 districts using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps and recorded human cases of american visceral leishmaniasis in the city. We calculated the relative frequency and richness of sandflies and applied a transfer function model to the vector density correlate with relative humidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sandfly population was composed of 2 genera and 27 species, totaling 8,097 individuals. Monitoring identified Lutzomyia longipalpis (44%), followed by Lutzomyia lenti (18.9%), Lutzomyia whitmani (13.9%), Lutzomyia carmelinoi (9.1%), Lutzomyia evandroi (5.1%), Lutzomyia termitophila (3.3%), Lutzomyia sordellii (1.9%), and 20 other species (<4%). The male:female ratio was 3.5:1. We observed high species diversity (Dα = 6.65). Lutzomyia longipalpis showed occurrence peaks during the rainy season; there was a temporal correlation with humidity, but not with frequency or temperature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of Lutzomyia longipalpis in the urban area of Barra do Garças underscores the changing disease profile, which was previously restricted to the wild environment.
authors: Setor de Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental, Secretaria de Estado de Saúde de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil. mirianfmartins@uol.com.br
authors: Mirian Francisca Martins
authors: MF
authors: Queiroz
authors: Jane Ramos
authors: JR
authors: Varjão
authors: Sinara Cristina de
authors: SC
authors: Moraes
authors: Gladys Elena
authors: GE
authors: Salcedo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D011156:Population Density; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000145:classification*; D011891:Rain; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature