Phlebotominae fauna in a recent deforested area with American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis transmission (Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina): Seasonal distribution in domestic and peridomestic environments

Abstract

Phlebotominae sand flies have been involved as vectors of Leishmania. In Argentina,Nyssomyia neivai and Ny. whitmani are involved as the main vectors of American TegumentaryLeishmaniasis (ATL). In the northeastern border of the country, an outbreak of ATL during 2004-2005was associated with deforestation and subsequent settlement of farmers close to the edge of the forest.The aim of this work was to study the community composition of sand flies along time in farms locatednear primary and secondary forest in two environments: houses and pigsties. The association ofabundance with temperature and precipitation was also evaluated for the most prevalent species. Atotal of 23,659 phlebotominae belonging to the genera Nyssomyia, Mygonemyia, Pintomyia,Evandromyia, Micropygomyia, Sciopemyia, Dampfomyia, Psathyromyia and Brumptomyia werecaptured. Ny. whitmani, which was the most abundant species, and My. migonei, which was the secondmost abundant species, were present throughout the year. Both species were positively associatedwith temperature, mostly up to 31-47 days, and with precipitation at 31 days before the sampling day.The abundance was higher in pigsties than in houses, but the time pattern was positively associatedbetween both environments. These results confirm that Ny. whitmani is the dominant species in thestudy area and its presence throughout the year indicates a potential long period of ATL transmission.The presence of My. migonei as the second species in abundance is relevant, because it has beendescribed as a secondary vector of the parasites of ATL and a putative vector of the agent of AmericanVisceral Leishmaniasis. We also discuss the pigsty as a zoo-prophylactic barrier, taking into account thenumber of sand flies captured there, the distance from the home, and the association of sand flyabundance with each of the two environments.