Natural infections of < i > Pintomyia verrucarum < /i > and < i > Pintomyia maranonensis < /i > by < i > Leishmania (Viannia) peruviana < /i > in the Eastern Andes of northern Peru

by Hirotomo Kato, Chisato Seki, Makoto Kubo, Lizandro Gonzales-Cornejo, Abraham G. Caceres The natural infection of sand flies byLeishmania was investigated in Andean areas located between the Central and Eastern Cordilleras of northern Peru where cutaneous leishmaniasis caused byLeishmania (Viannia) peruviana is endemic. Sand flies were captured at five locations along the Utcubamba River in the Department of Amazonas, and morphologically identified under a microscope. Among 422 female sand flies dissected, the most dominant species wasPintomyia verrucarum (320 flies), followed byPi.maranonensis (83 flies),Pi.robusta (13 flies), andLutzomyia castanea (6 flies). Genetic analysis of sand flies from these areas together with those from other areas revealed that individuals ofPi.verrucarum were closely related regardless of morphological variation of their spermathecae. On the other hand, individuals ofPi.maranonensis collected in the study area were distant from those of other areas with genetic distances over the intraspecific level but mostly below the interspecific level, suggesting the unique characteristics of sand flies in this area. The natural infection of sand flies by flagellate parasites was detected mainly in the hindgut of each one ofPi.verrucarum andPi.maranonensis. Both parasite species were identified asL.(V.) peruviana based on cytochromeb and mannose phosphate isomerase gene analyses. In addition, parasite species obtained from the lesion of a patient with cu...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research