title: Abundance of Lutzomyia longipalpis in urban households as risk factor of transmission of visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: Urban occurrence of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is linked to households with characteristics conducive to the presence of sand flies. This study proposes an ad hoc classification of households according to the environmental characteristics of receptivity to phlebotominae and an entomological study to validate the proposal. Here we describe the phlebotominae population found in intra- and peridomiciliary environments and analyse the spatiotemporal distribution of the VL vector Lutzomyia longipalpis of households receptive to VL. In the region, 153 households were classified into levels of receptivity to VL followed by entomological surveys in 40 of those properties. Kruskal-Wallis verified the relationship between the households' classification and sand fly abundance and Kernel analysis evaluated L. longipalpis spatial distribution: of the 740 sand flies were captured, 91% were L. longipalpis; 82% were found peridomiciliary whilst the remaining 18% were found intradomiciliary. No statistically significant association was found between sandflies and households levels. L. longipalpis counts were concentrated in areas of high vulnerability and some specific households were responsible for the persistence of the infestation. L. longipalpis prevails over other sand fly species for urban VL transmission. The entomological study may help target the surveillance and vector control strategies to domiciles initiating and/or maintaining VL outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Elisa Neves
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Vianna
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Prefeitura de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Helena Franco
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Doenças Endêmicas, Escola de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andréa Sobral de
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Doenças Endêmicas, Escola de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paulo Chagastelles
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Sabroza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Estatística, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ilka Afonso
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Edelberto Santos
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Mariângela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carneiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification* / Q000469:parasitology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000635:transmission*; D011156:Population Density; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000469:parasitology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D014505:Urban Population