Natural infection of Lutzomyia longipalpis by Leishmania sp in Teresina, Piaui State, Brazil

In Brazil, control of the vector Lutzomyia longipalpis is one of the main strategies used to limit the expansion of American visceral leishmaniasis. However studies on the ecology of this sand fly are rare, especially regarding its natural infection with species of Leishmania. A study of the natural infection of Lu. longipalpis by Leishmania sp. was carried out in the Bela Vista neighborhood in the city of Teresina, Piaui State, Brazil, an important area of American visceral leishmaniasis transmission. From February 2004 to January 2005, sand flies were captured with CDC light traps. Approximately 10 female sand flies in each capture were dissected and examined for the presence of evolutionary forms of Leishmania sp. Two sand fly species were identified: 1,832 were Lu. longipalpis and six Lu. whitmani. Twenty female sand flies (1.1%), all Lu. longipalpis, were infected with procyclic and nectomonad forms of Leishmania sp.,found mostly in the hindgut. Higher proportions of infected sand flies were found four months after the rainy season, suggesting that environmental factors may predict not only vector abundance (as already known) but also their level of infection.