Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) Argentina-Bolivia border: new report and genetic diversity

Abstract

American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) has two main scenarios of transmission as follows: scattered cases in rural areas andurban outbreaks. Urban AVL is in active dispersion from the northeastern border of Argentina-Paraguay-Brazil to the South.The presence of Lutzomyia longipalpis was initially reported in urban environments in the northwestern border of the country.The presence of Lu. longipalpis, environmental variables associated with its distribution, and its genetic diversity were assessedin Salvador Mazza, Argentina, on the border with Bolivia. The genetic analysis showed high haplotype diversity, low nucleotidediversity, and low nucleotide polymorphism index. We discuss the hypothesis of an expanding urban population with introgressivehybridisation of older haplogroups found in their path in natural forest or rural environments, acquiring a new adaptability tourban environments, and the possibility of changes in vector capacity.