Molecular Detection of Leishmania spp. and Blood Source of Female Sand Flies in the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce and Municipality of Timóteo, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a group of diseases caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite female sand fly. The present work is characterized as a descriptive study in two areas: a forest area located in the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, and another urban area located in the municipality of Timóteo-MG, with the objective of identifying the presence of Leishmania spp. and the blood source of the collected female sand flies. Part of the females were obtained from the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, and part was collected using 19 ligth traps distributed in residences of Timóteo. For molecular studies of Leishmania spp. DNA, the ITS1 gene was used, and in the search for blood source, the CytB gene was used and positive samples were sequenced. The study demonstrated that there are at least three species of Leishmania circulating in the study areas: Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, and Leishmania (V.) guyanensis. Nyssomyia whitmani was the predominant sand fly species in the urban area of Timóteo with a positive diagnosis for the presence of Leishmania braziliensis DNA. We found the presence of blood from Gallus gallus (Chicken) and Sus scrofa (Pig) in sand flies. The present study demonstrates that Leishmania braziliensis is the main agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the study area, with the effective participation of Nyssomyia whitmani as the vector and both Gallus gallus and Sus scrofa acting as a food source for female sand flies, and helping maintaining the sand fly life.