Diversity, Leishmania detection, and blood meal sources of sand flies from Iguatama, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

This study investigated the sand fly fauna of the municipality Iguatama, in the Midwest Region of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, including Leishmania infection rates and blood meal sources. Sand flies were collected during four periods over the course of a single year, encompassing both dry and rainy seasons, using CDC light traps placed in peridomiciles where dogs were seropositive for visceral leishmaniasis (VL). A total of 762 sand fly specimens, representing 12 species across seven genera, were collected. Lutzomyia longipalpis was the most abundant species, comprising 57.6% of the collected specimens, followed by Nyssomyia neivai (19.6%) and Nyssomyia whitmani (10.5%). Species richness and diversity varied among collection periods, with the highest diversity observed in January 2019. Molecular analysis detected Leishmania DNA in 12.5% of the sand fly specimens, with Le. infantum being the predominant species. Blood meal analysis revealed feeding on multiple vertebrate species, including humans, rats, dogs, and chickens. The presence of Leishmania DNA in sand flies, and the identification of human blood meals, highlight the potential role of these species in VL transmission. These findings underscore the importance of continued surveillance and control measures to prevent the spread of VL and reduce transmission risk in the region.

Dutra-Rêgo F ，Binder C ，Capucci DC ，Vaz TP ，Andrade Filho JD ，Fontes G ，Gontijo CMF ... -  《PLoS One》

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》

High molecular prevalence of Leishmania in phlebotomine sand flies fed on chicken blood in Brazil.

Leishmaniases are endemic in Brazil, where Leishmania infantum has been detected in humans, dogs, cats, and phlebotomine vectors. Monitoring synanthropic vector populations is critical for leishmaniasis control-surveillance in such transmission-prone areas. Here, a suite of molecular approaches were used to assess Leishmania infection prevalence and to identify blood-meal sources in a large sample of sand flies collected in anthropic environments of a Leishmania-transmission area in Mato Grosso do Sul State (Rio Verde de Mato Grosso municipality), Central-West Brazil. We sampled sand flies monthly (January-June 2014 and 2016) in one peri-domestic site within each of six neighborhoods with recent records of human visceral and/or tegumentary leishmaniasis. kDNA-qPCR plus rDNA ITS-sequencing were used to detect and identify Leishmania in pooled female sand flies. Individual engorged females (n = 58) were used for blood-meal analyses through High-Resolution Melting (HRM) targeting the mtDNA cytb gene. Overall, 90.5% of 420 CDC trap-nights yielded vectors, for a total catch of 24,989 sand flies. We sub-sampled and identified 3088 sand flies of 12 species, including 2775 Lutzomyia longipalpis (the most abundant species at all sampling sites) and 297 Nyssomyia whitmani. Female sand flies (n = 1261) were grouped in 159 pools, of which 92 Lu. longipalpis (minimum infection rate [MIR] 8%) and 7 Ny. whitmani pools (MIR 7%) were Leishmania kDNA-positive. Most positive Lu. longipalpis were collected in the 2016 rainy season. Sequencing confirmed L. infantum in Lu. longipalpis samples. HRM analyses identified chicken DNA in 57 sand flies (98.3%), 37 of which were Leishmania DNA-positive (64.9%); human blood was found in just one (Leishmania-negative) female. Our data show ongoing risk of L. infantum transmission to humans in the study area, where Leishmania-infected sandfly vectors are common and heavily rely on chicken blood in the peri-domestic environment.

de Sousa Ferreira T ，Timbó RV ，Minuzzi-Souza TTC ，de Almeida Rocha D ，Neiva M ，de Albuquerque Ribeiro J ，de Almeida PS ，Hecht M ，Nitz N ，Gurgel-Gonçalves R ... -  《-》

Diversity of phlebotomine sand flies and molecular detection of trypanosomatids in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Tanure A ，Rêgo FD ，Tonelli GB ，Campos AM ，Shimabukuro PHF ，Gontijo CMF ，Paz GF ，Andrade-Filho JD ... -  《PLoS One》

Survey of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an environmentally protected area in Brazil.

Saraiva L ，Silva Reis A ，Marteleto Nunes Rugani J ，Sampaio Pereira AA ，Rêgo FD ，Vianna Mariano da Rocha Lima AC ，Gontijo CM ，Andrade Filho JD ... -  《PLoS One》