Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis in Migonemyia migonei and Cortelezzii complex (Diptera: Phlebotominae) from Chaco, Argentina

Abstract

Chaco province is included in Argentinean ecoregions with human tegumentary leishmaniasis case records. During 2012-2014 in Pampa del Indio town an ecoepidemiological study was carried out including phlebotomine dynamics and its natural infection with Leishmania demonstrated by sand flies dissection, polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. The species recorded were: Migonemyia migonei (72.79%), Nyssomyia neivai (23.6%), Evandromyia cortelezzii (0.94%), Evandromyia sallesi (0.39%), Cortelezzii complex (1.61%), Evandromyia aldafalcaoae (0.05%), Psathyromyia bigeniculata (0.02%), Brumptomyia brumpti (0.6%) and Corumbaensis complex (0.01%). A total of 380 females sand flies (Cortelezzii complex, Mg. migonei and Ny. neivai) from peridomicile and extradomicile were individually dissected and no flagellates were observed in the intestinal tract. Later, these females were arranged in 38 pools for molecular analyses and Leishmania braziliensis DNA was amplified in 3 pools with a minimum infection rate of the total females of 0.8%, while specific rates were 0.5% for the Cortelezzii complex and 1.5% for Mg. migonei. In conclusion, our results would strengthen the hypothesis that, in the study area, these species are candidates to be incriminated as vectors, while further studies will be required to fulfill the criteria to characterize both species as proven vectors of Le. braziliensis.