title: Experimental infection and transmission of Leishmania by Lutzomyia cruzi (Diptera: Psychodidae): Aspects of the ecology of parasite-vector interactions.
abstract: Several parameters should be addressed before incriminating a vector for Leishmania transmission. Those may include its ability to become infected by the same Leishmania species found in humans, the degree of attractiveness for reservoirs and humans and capacity to sustain parasite infection under laboratory conditions. This study evaluated the vectorial capacity of Lutzomyia cruzi for Leishmania infantum and gathered information on its ability to harbor L. amazonensis. Laboratory-reared Lu. cruzi were infected experimentally by feeding them on dogs infected naturally with L. infantum and hamsters infected with L. amazonensis. Sand fly attractiveness to dogs and humans was determined using wild caught insects. The expected daily survival of infected Lu. cruzi, the duration of the gonotrophic cycle, and the extrinsic incubation period were also investigated for both parasites. Vector competence was investigated for both Leishmania species. The mean proportion of female sand flies that fed on hosts was 0.40. For L. infantum and L. amazonensis, Lu. cruzi had experimental infection rates of 10.55% and 41.56%, respectively. The extrinsic incubation period was 3 days for both Leishmania species, regardless of the host. Survival expectancy of females infected with L. infantum and L. amazonensis after completing the gonotrophic cycle was 1.32 and 0.43, respectively. There was no association between L. infantum infection and sand fly longevity, but L. amazonensis-infected flies had significantly greater survival probabilities. Furthermore, egg-laying was significantly detrimental to survival. Lu. cruzi was found to be highly attracted to both dogs and humans. After a bloodmeal on experimentally infected hosts, both parasites were able to survive and develop late-stage infections in Lu. cruzi. However, transmission was demonstrated only for L. amazonensis-infected sand flies. In conclusion, Lu. cruzi fulfilled several of the requirements of vectorial capacity for L. infantum transmission. Moreover, it was also permissive to L. amazonensis.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.|Departamento de Estatística, Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Everton
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0074-5278
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falcão de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Elisa Teruya
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Oshiro
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Wagner de Souza
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paula Guerra
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Murat
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Estatística, Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Márcio José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Medeiros
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alda Izabel
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alessandra Gutierrez
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.|Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Eunice Aparecida Bianchi
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Galati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004285:Dogs; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology