Norberto Assis Membrive

Flebotomíneos de municípios do norte do estado do Paraná, sul do Brasil

This work reports the results of sandfly collections in several places, during 2001 and 2002, in Bom Sucesso, Jardim Alegre, Kalore, Londrina and Sabaudia municipalities, North of the State. The sandflies catches were performed with Shannon and Falcao traps in domiciliary areas, domestic animal shelters, barns and in the forest. A total of 4,019 specimens of 8 species were captured. Nyssomyia whitmani predominates in all of the municipalities. The species Migonemyia migonei, Nyssomyia neivai and N. whitmani may be involved in the epidemiology of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis in this state.

Leishmaniose tegumentar americana humana e canina no Município de Mariluz, Estado do Paraná, Brasil

An outbreak of American cutaneous leishmaniasis was reported in 2002 in Mariluz, northwestern Paraná State, Brazil. Of 38 humans who were investigated, four had healed lesions, ten showed lesions in the healing process, and 24 had active lesions. Of the 126 dogs, 20 (15.9%) presented suggestive lesions and 24 (19%) had positive serology. Parasites isolated from two patients and three dogs were identified as Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis serodeme I. The captured sand flies were identified as Nyssomyia whitmani, N. neivai, and Migonemyia migonei. Considering that the region where the cases occurred is similar to other old human settlements in Paraná State, the environmental alterations and remaining forests facilitate the maintenance of the parasites enzootic cycle and transmission to humans and domestic animals, thereby maintaining the endemicity of American cutaneous leishmaniasis.

PCR in the investigation of canine American tegumentary leishmaniasis in northwestern Paraná State, Brazil

American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) was studied in 143 dogs in a rural area in the county of Mariluz, northwestern Paraná State, Brazil, using direct parasite search, indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Thirty-nine dogs (27.3%) presented lesions suggestive of the disease, 5 (12.8%) of which were positive in direct parasite search and PCR (lesion), and of these 5, 4 were also positive by IIF. Of the 34 dogs with negative direct parasite search, 12 (35.3%) had PCR-positive lesions, and of these, 5 were also IIF-positive. One hundred and four dogs had no lesions, but 17/101 (16.8%) were IIF-positive. PCR in blood was positive in 10/38 (26.3%) of the dogs with lesions and in 16/104 (15.4%) of dogs without lesions. The association between PCR (lesion or blood), direct parasite search, and IIF detected 24/39 (61.5%) positive results among symptomatic dogs and 31/104 (29.8%) among asymptomatic animals. PCR was useful for diagnosing ATL, but there was no correlation between lesions, serology, and plasma PCR. Furthermore, detection of parasite DNA in the blood may indicate hematogenous parasite dissemination.

Environmental and Animal Characteristics as Factors Associated with American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Rural Locations with Presence of Dogs, Brazil

The aim of the study was to investigate the importance of dogs, other domesticated animals and environmental characteristics as risk factors in the epidemiology of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL). A retrospective survey of cases of human ACL in the last ten years and visits to homes in rural locations were carried out in the municipality of Arapongas (southern Brazil) from 2008 to 2010. ACL in humans was significantly associated with a distance of up to 25 meters from the residence to a forest area (OR 5.08; 95% CI: 1.35–21.04), undergrowth area (OR 6.80; 95% CI: 1.69–45.33) and stream (OR 5.87; 95% CI: 1.15–24.59); banana plants near the residence (OR 5.98; 95% CI: 1.49–39.84), absence of ceiling below the roof in the residence (OR 7.30; 95% CI: 1.26–158.1), the dumping of trash in the forest area (OR 26.33; 95% CI: 7.32–93.46) and presence of ACL in dogs in the surrounding area (OR 4.39; 95% CI: 1.37–13.45). In dogs, ACL was associated with a distance of 25 to 50 meters and 51 to 100 meters, respectively, from the residence to a forest area (OR 2.59; 95% CI: 1.08–5.98; OR 3.29; 95% CI: 1.64–6.62), the presence of a stream up to 25 m from the residence (OR 6.23; 95% CI: 2.34–16.54) and banana plants near the residence (OR 0.45; 95% CI: 0.25–0.80). In the locations studied in the municipality of Arapongas (Brazil), the results reveal that canine infection increases the risk of human infection by ACL and the characteristics surrounding the residence increase the risk of infection in both humans and dogs. Thus, integrated environmental management could be a useful measure to avoid contact between humans and phlebotomines.

Phenetic analysis of Panstrongylus megistus Burmeister, 1835 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in the State of Paraná-Brazil

Panstrongylus megistus is an important Chagas Disease vector and is said to be one of the species that might replace Triatoma infestans as the main vector of that disease in Brazil. The different degrees of P. megistus domiciliation in Brazil and its epidemiological relevance draw forth the need for the development of genetic studies that make it possible to analyze and understand the interchange of individual and gene fluxes among different populations. Thus, the present work aimed at studying the genetic variability of P. megistus in the State of Parana - south of Brazil- and at comparing it with populations of the same species from five other states in Brazil (SP, MG, SC, RS, SE). In order to attain the proposed objective, 25 populations were studied using fifteen isoenzymatic systems (6PGD, G6PD, ME1, ME2, ICD, PGM, GPI, GOT1, GOT2, NP1, NP2, DIA, MPI, F, and MDH). The phenetic analysis allowed the individuation of 22 electromorphs and five zymodemes. The G6PD enzyme was the only polymorphic one presenting four electromorphs for the studied populations, all of them described for the State of Parana-BR. The P. megistus populations from other states grouped with those from Parana-BR, evidencing a low genetic variability in that species. Despite the existing geographic barriers, sub-samples - away from one another by at most 570km - were grouped in one and the same zymodeme. The epidemiological implications of such results are discussed in the present work.

Investigation of natural infection by Leishmania in sandflies of Paraná State, Southern Brazil

The purpose of this work was to verify the occurrence of Leishmania in naturally infected sandflies. The insects were collected with Falcao, Shannon and HP light-traps, in Doutor Camargo and Maringa municipalities between November 2004 and October 2005. Of the 11,033 sandflies collected in Doutor Camargo, 2,133 surviving females were dissected, particularly those of the Nyssomyia neivai species (86.87%). In Maringa, 136 sandflies were collected, of which 79 N. whitmani females and 1 Migonemyia migonei female were dissected. The dissected insects were identified and stored in the pools of 10 specimens. The PCR was carried out on 1,190 females of N. neivai and 190 of N. whitmani from Doutor Camargo, and on 30 of N. whitmani from Maringa, using the primers MP1L/MP3H. The natural infection by Leishmania in sandflies was not confirmed by either of the methods used. The results suggested the low natural infection rate of sandflies by Leishmania in these areas, corroborating other studies carried out in endemic areas of ACL.