title: Ecology of sand flies in a low-density residential rural area, with mixed forest/agricultural exploitation, in north-eastern Brazil.
abstract: Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania braziliensis is endemic in Brazil, where Lutzomyia whitmani is the most important vector involved in the transmission to humans, particularly in the peridomestic environment. Herein, we assessed the ecology of sand flies, including Lu. whitmani, in a low-density residential rural area with mixed forest/agricultural exploitation in north-eastern Brazil, where cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic. Particularly, we hypothesized that sand fly abundance was correlated with climatic variables. Sand fly collections were carried out monthly from August 2013 to August 2014, using seven CDC light traps, for three consecutive nights, in three kinds of environments: indoor, peridomicile and forest. Collected sand flies were identified based on morphology and females of Lu. whitmani (n=169), Lu. amazonensis (n=134) and Lu. complexa (n=21) were selected and tested by PCR for Leishmania (Viannia) spp. In total, 5167 sand flies belonging to 19 species were identified, being that Lu. choti (43.2%) was the most frequent species, followed by Lu. amazonensis (16.6%), Lu. whitmani (15.8%), Lu. sordellii (10.7%) and Lu. quinquefer (5.8%), which together represented over 90% of the collected sand flies. All females tested by PCR were negative. The number of sand flies collected daily was positively correlated with temperature and negatively correlated with rainfall and relative humidity. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between daily number of sand flies and daily average saturation deficit. This study points out that the number of sand flies captured daily is correlated to climatic variables, including saturation deficit, which may represent a useful parameter for monitoring sand fly populations in leishmaniasis-endemic areas.
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors: Débora Elienai de Oliveira
authors: DE
authors: Miranda
authors: Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors: Kamila Gaudêncio da Silva
authors: KG
authors: Sales
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors: Maria Aparecida da Gloria
authors: MA
authors: Faustino
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors: Leucio Câmara
authors: LC
authors: Alves
authors: Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors: Sinval Pinto
authors: SP
authors: Brandão-Filho
authors: Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy. Electronic address: filipe.dantas@cpqam.fiocruz.br.
authors: Filipe
authors: F
authors: Dantas-Torres
authors: Academic Unit of Garanhuns, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, 55296-901 Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors: Gílcia Aparecida
authors: GA
authors: de Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004463:Ecology; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000254:growth & development*; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000254:growth & development*; D013696:Temperature
keywords: Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Ecology; Epidemiology; Lutzomyia whitmani