title: Phlebotomine fauna in the urban area of Timóteo, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
abstract: This work is characterized by an entomological research and an investigation on whether seasonal behaviours can be associated to the phlebotomine fauna found in the urban area of Timóteo-MG - an endemic focus of tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL). The analysis of the seasonal behaviour of sand flies has taken into account the following climatic variables: rainfall, relative humidity and temperature. Automatic light traps were installed in households between 2009 and 2010. The sand fly species with the highest number captured was Lutzomyia whitmani (66.5%), a TL vector species, whose abundance has provided strong evidences that this species is the main vector of TL in the municipality of Timóteo, with its cycle of transmission developing in its urban area. Amongst the results observed in the analyses of seasonal behaviour, only temperature conveyed particular association between seasonal occurrence of sand flies and climate variables. The findings of this study may assist the local epidemiological surveillance agency in defining strategies and directing efforts for controlling these insects.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Departamento de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Avenida Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, CEP: 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: biominas2004@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Cristian Ferreira
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto, CP1743, CEP: 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: patyquaresma@cpqrr.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Patrícia Flávia
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Quaresma
authors.affiliation: Centro de Referência Nacional e Internacional para Flebotomíneos, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto, CP1743, CEP: 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: jandrade@cpqrr.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Jose Dilermando
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Andrade Filho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Avenida Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, CEP: 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: paula@ufv.br.
authors.forename: Paula Dias
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002980:Climate; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development*; D012621:Seasons; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Leishmaniasis; Lutzomyia whitmani; Seasonality; Urban transmission