Survey of sandfly fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, 2003-2004

Detection of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis in bats from Espírito Santo, Brazil (2018-2019)

Studying the occurrence of Leishmania in bats would help toward clarifying the role of these animals in epidemiological cycles. Therefore, the objective of this study was to detect Leishmania spp. in bats from the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo. In total, 105 bats from 11 species which had been collected from 17 municipalities of Espírito Santo were obtained from the IDAF Rabies Diagnostic Laboratory between December 2018 and June 2019. DNA was extracted from the bone marrow, skin, and spleen samples and analysed using conventional PCR, with primers specific for the kinetoplastic DNA minicircle of the parasitic species Leishmania (Viannnia) braziliensis, Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum, and Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. To identify the Leishmania species, the positive PCR products were analysed using PCR-RFLP with the HaeIII enzyme and 8% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Positivity for L. (V.) braziliensis was observed in five (4.76%) bats: namely, one male Eumops glaucinus from Vitória (in a skin sample), one male Artibeus lituratus from Vila Velha and one female Eumops glaucinus from Vitória (both in bone marrow samples), and one male A. lituratus from Vitória and one male Molossus rufus from Guarapari (both in the spleen samples). To our best knowledge, this is the first report of the detection of Leishmania in bats from Espírito Santo as well as of Leishmania DNA in the bone marrow of bats.

Leishmania infection in bats from a non-endemic region of Leishmaniasis in Brazil

Leishmaniasis is a complex of zoonotic diseases caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, which can develop in domestic as well as wild animals and humans throughout the world. Currently, this disease is spreading in rural and urban areas of non-endemic regions in Brazil. Recently, bats have gained epidemiological significance in leishmaniasis due to its close relationship with human settlements. In this study, we investigated the presence of Leishmania spp. DNA in blood samples from 448 bats belonging to four families representing 20 species that were captured in the Triangulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaiba areas of Minas Gerais State (non-endemic areas for leishmaniasis), Brazil. Leishmania spp. DNA was detected in 8·0% of the blood samples, 41·6% of which were Leishmania infantum, 38·9% Leishmania amazonensis and 19·4% Leishmania braziliensis. No positive correlation was found between Leishmania spp. and bat food source. The species with more infection rates were the insectivorous bats Eumops perotis; 22·2% (4/18) of which tested positive for Leishmania DNA. The presence of Leishmania in the bat blood samples, as observed in this study, represents epidemiological importance due to the absence of Leishmaniasis cases in the region.

Lutzomyia longipalpis urbanisation and control

Since the description of Lutzomyia longipalpis by Lutz and Neiva more than 100 years ago, much has been written in the scientific literature about this phlebotomine species. Soares and Turco (2003) and Lainson and Rangel (2005) have written extensive reviews focused on vector-host-parasite interactions and American visceral leishmaniasis ecology. However, during the last two decades, the success of Lu. longipalpis in colonising urban environments and its simultaneous geographical spreading have led to new theoretical and operational questions. Therefore, this review updates the general information about this species and notes the more challenging topics regarding the new scenario of urbanisation-spreading and its control in America. Here, we summarise the literature on these issues and the remaining unsolved questions, which pose recommendations for operational research.