Detection of Pintomyia fischeri (Diptera: Psychodidae) With Leishmania infantum (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) Promastigotes in a Focus of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil.

Visceral leishmaniasis is spreading in Brazil where the main vector of its agent, Leishmania infantum Nicolle, 1908, is the Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) species complex (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), on which many of the activities of the visceral leishmaniasis surveillance program are based. However, there are areas where canine, and/or human cases have been occurring without the presence of this species complex as in the western part of the Greater São Paulo Metropolitan region, where Embu das Artes municipality is situated. In this area, Pintomyia fischeri (Pinto, 1926) has been implicated as potential vector of Le. infantum but so far its natural infection with this parasite has not yet been ascertained. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate the natural infection in sand flies of a CVL focus in Embu das Artes. The sand fly collections were undertaken with Shannon and CDC traps, monthly, between 1800 and 2100 hours from November 2018 to October 2019, inclusive. A total of 951 sand flies (457 males and 494 females), belonging to 10 species, were captured. Pintomyia fischeri was the predominant species (89.5%); of which 426 females were dissected and one of them (0.23%) was found to be harboring flagellates in its midgut. A sample of these flagellates was isolated in culture and characterized by a 234 base pair fragment of Leishmania heat-shock protein 70 gene (hsp70) and restriction fragment length polymorphism with Hae III restriction enzyme as Le. infantum. This finding reinforces previous evidence of Pi. fischeri as a vector of Le. infantum in foci of visceral leishmaniasis and highlights the importance of vector surveillance in areas where this species occurs.

Galvis-Ovallos F ，Ueta AE ，Marques GO ，Sarmento AMC ，Araujo G ，Sandoval C ，Tomokane TY ，da Matta VLR ，Laurenti MD ，Galati EAB ... -  《-》

Ecology and Molecular Detection of Leishmania infantum Nicolle, 1908 (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatida) in Wild-Caught Sand Flies (Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) Collected in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul: A New Focus of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil.

Phlebotomine sand flies are hematophagous insect vectors of the protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania Ross, 1903 (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatida) that infect mammals, including humans, causing leishmaniasis. In Porto Alegre, Brazil, three autochthonous cases of human visceral leishmaniasis were reported in 2016 through 2017. We analyzed for the presence of Leishmania DNA in sand flies collected at the neighborhood of Agronomia, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Phlebotomine sand flies were collected at three sites from October 2014 to September 2015. Female sand flies were pooled in numbers from 1 to 20 depending upon species, locality, and date; all were screened for Leishmania infection by the amplification of the ITS1 region. In total 518 phlebotomine sand flies were collected: Psathyromyia lanei (Barretto and Coutinho, 1941) (Diptera: Psychodidae) (30.5%), Brumptomyia sp. (França and Parrrot, 1921) (Diptera: Psychodidae) (25.7%), Migonemyia migonei (Franca, 1920) (Diptera: Psychodidae) (21.4%), Pintomyia fischeri (Pinto, 1926) (Diptera: Psychodidae) (21.4%), and Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto, 1926) (Diptera: Psychodidae) (1.0%). Most sand flies were collected during the hot and rainy season from October 2014 to April 2015. Of the 113 pools analyzed, five pools of Pi. fischeri were PCR-positive with the amplicons possessing sequences similar (>95%) to that of Leishmania infantum Nicolle, 1908 (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatida). These results represent the first molecular detection of Le. infantum in Pi. fischeri. It is possible that Pi. fischeri is involved in the transmission cycle of Le. infantum in the studied area; however, further studies are needed to establish the true role of Pi. fischeri in the visceral leismaniasis cycle.

Rêgo FD ，Souza GD ，Dornelles LFP ，Andrade Filho JD ... -  《-》

Canine visceral leishmaniasis in the metropolitan area of São Paulo: Pintomyia fischeri as potential vector of Leishmania infantum.

American visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis caused by Leishmania infantum and transmitted mainly by Lutzomyia longipalpis. However, canine cases have been reported in the absence of this species in the Greater São Paulo region, where Pintomyia fischeri and Migonemyia migonei are the predominant species. This raises the suspicion that they could be acting as vectors. Therefore, this study sought to investigate specific vector capacity parameters of these species and to compare them with those of Lu. longipalpis s.l. Among these parameters the blood feeding rate, the survival, and the susceptibility to the development of Le. infantum were evaluated for the three species, and the attractiveness of dogs to Pi. fischeri and Mg. migonei was evaluated. The estimated interval between blood meals was shorter for Lu. longipalpis s.l, followed by Pi. fischeri and Mg. migonei. The infection rate with Le. infantum flagellates in Lu. longipalpis was 9.8%, in Pi. fischeri 4.8%, and in Mg. migonei nil. The respective infective life expectancies (days) of Lu. longipalpis, Mg. migonei, and Pi. fischeri were 2.4, 1.94, and 1.68. Both Pi. fischeri and Mg. migonei were captured in the kennel with a predominance (95%) of Pi. fischeri. Considering the great attractiveness of dogs to Pi. fischeri, its susceptibility to infection by Le. infantum, infective life expectancies, and predominance in Greater São Paulo, this study presents evidence of Pi. fischeri as a potential vector of this parasite in the region.

Galvis-Ovallos F ，da Silva MD ，Bispo GB ，de Oliveira AG ，Neto JR ，Malafronte RD ，Galati EA ... -  《-》

Leishmania infantum detection in Nyssomyia neivai and dogs in Southern Brazil.

Cardoso SF ，Guesser JVC ，Rodrigues AAF ，Brazil RP ，Rona LDP ，Pitaluga AN ... -  《Parasites & Vectors》

Potential Vectors of Leishmania Parasites in a Recent Focus of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Neighborhoods of Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

In view of recent cases of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis reported in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, we investigated the sand fly fauna inhabiting the neighborhoods of Morro Santana and Jardim Carvalho, Brazil, continuing a series of entomological surveys aimed to identify potential vectors of Leishmania (Ross, 1903) parasites. Sand flies were collected monthly from October 2016 to October 2017 using CDC light traps in the intradomiciliary and peridomiciliary environments of seven residences. Sand fly abundance was correlated to climatic variables. Females were pooled by species, location, and date for Leishmania DNA molecular screening using ITS1 and kDNA polymerase chain reaction. In total, 501 sand flies from five species were collected in which Lutzomyia gaminarai (Cordero, Vogelsang & Cossio, 1928) (Diptera: Psychodidae) (78%) was the most abundant species in the intradomiciliary sites while Migonemyia migonei (Franca, 1920) (Diptera: Psychodidae) (43.3%) was the most abundant in the peridomiciliary sites. A higher number of sand flies were collected during the warmest months, from December to March (Mann-Whitney statistical test - P < 0.001). Leishmania infantum DNA was detected in Lu. gaminarai (2), Pintomyia fischeri (Pinto, 1926) (1) and Mg. migonei (1). Leishmania braziliensis DNA was detected in Lu. gaminarai (1) and Pi. fischeri (1). Our results add support to the possible vector role of Pi. fischeri in the epidemiological cycle of Le. infantum in Brazil. Furthermore, the first documented detection of Leishmania DNA in Lu. gaminarai may be indicative of multiple vectors being involved in the Leishmania cycle within Porto Alegre.

Rêgo FD ，Souza GD ，Miranda JB ，Peixoto LV ，Andrade-Filho JD ... -  《-》