Detection of Leishmania infantum DNA in Pintomyia evansi and Lutzomyia longipalpis in Honduras
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SHORT REPORT
Detection of Leishmania infantum DNA in Pintomyia evansi and Lutzomyia longipalpis in Honduras Wilfredo Sosa‑Ochoa1,5* , Javier Varela Amador2, Yokomi Lozano‑Sardaneta3, Gabriela Rodriguez Segura1, Concepcion Zúniga Valeriano4, Gabriela Venicia Araujo5, Carmen María Sandoval Pacheco5, Márcia Dalastra Laurenti5 and Fredy Galvis‑Ovallos6
Abstract Background: The two most abundant sand fly species on the Honduran Pacific coast are Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) longipalpis and Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) evansi. Both species are known vectors of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Americas. Although VL and non-ulcerative cutaneous leishmania‑ sis (NUCL) are endemic on the Pacific versant of the Central American Pacific, the latter is the most frequent manifes‑ tation of leishmaniasis there. We evaluated the circulation of Leishmania spp. in the sand fly species on El Tigre Island, an endemic area of NUCL. Results: We collected 222 specimens of six sand fly species. Lu. longipalpis (180 specimens; 81%) and Pif. (Pi.) evansi (35 specimens; 16%) were the most abundant species. L. (L.) infantum DNA was detected in nine of the 96 specimens analyzed; seven of these specimens were identified as Lu. longipalpis, and the remaining two were Pi. evansi, with an infection rate of 9.4% and 2.7%, respectively. Conclusion: We present the first record of L. (L.) infantum DNA in Pi. evansi from a NUCL endemic region of Central America. Our results suggest that Pi. evansi could be a secondary vector of L. (L.) infantum in the transmission cycle of leishmaniasis. The detection of natural infections of L. (L.) infantum in sand flies in this region contributes to an under‑ standing of the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in Honduras. Keywords: Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum, Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) evansi, Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) longipalpis, Visceral leishmaniasis, Non-ulcerative cutaneous leishmaniasis Background Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae). Leishmania is widespread mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of 98 countries throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and America [1]. More than 1,000 sand fly species have been identified worldwide, *Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Microbiology Research Institute, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
of which 530 species are present in the Americas [2, 3], and at least 30 species are considered Leishmania vectors [4]. In Honduras, 29 sand fly species have been reported [2, 5–7]. Members of the Lutzomyia longipalpis species complex are the main vectors of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum; however, other sand fly species, including Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) cruzi and Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) evansi, play a role as vectors of this parasite in some endemic areas of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in South and Central
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