Raimundo Wilson de Carvalho

The patterns of tungiasis in Araruama township, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This paper describes patterns of infestation with Tunga penetrans (L., 1758) within the poor community of Araruama municipality, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, assessed by the number of persons and domestic animals parasitized. The overall prevalence of infestation was 49.2% (211 parasitized hosts) of the 429 examined. Humans (p < 0.01) and dogs (p < 0.01) were the most important hosts with 62.6% and 35.6% respectively. Dogs were considered as the potential infestation source to humans. Considering sex and age groups, both measures showed a significant difference (p < 0.01): female (62.2% infested of 143 examined) and male (43.9% infested of 98 examined). All age classes were found infested with significant difference (G = 42.5; p < 0.01) and most of the infestation occurred in children in the 0-9-year old category (27.3%). In contrast and based on mean of chigoe burden per person, the parasitic intensity was significantly higher on male than on female in all age categories, except for the 50+ (H = 27.1; p < 0.01) and decreasing with the increase of age (chi2 = 69.7, A = -124.6, p < 0.01). Growing urbanization, improved housing and sewage systems, use of appropriate footwear, examination of the feet principally in young children, antitetanus prophylaxis and reduction of stray dogs population are the major prophylactic methods recommended.

Absence of Lutzomyia longipalpis in some endemic visceral leishmaniasis areas in Rio de Janeiro municipality

The first autochthonous case of human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro was diagnosed in 1977. Since 1980, 54 autochthonous cases have been diagnosed in various locations, and since 1993 some 17 autochthonous human cases have been reported. Eight of these occurred in the neighborhood of Barra de Guaratiba and the others were distributed in the following neighborhoods: Camorim, Colônia, Grota Funda, Grumari, Ilha de Guaratiba, and Carapiá. From September 1996 to December 1999, phebotomine sandfly captures were performed at 18 sites on the mountainsides of the Pedra Branca Massif, in the Municipality, and a total of 18,303 specimens were collected, with a predominance of L. intermedia (87.33%), L. migonei (6.59%), L. longipalpis (3.10%), and L. firmatoi (1.90%). The species L. longipalpis predominated in Barra de Guaratiba (46.80%) and was absent from the other six locations where VL cases also occurred, suggesting the participation of other species like L. migonei and L. firmatoi, belonging to the same paraphyletic group of the vector species, in the VL transmission chain in the region.

Small rodents fleas from the bubonic plague focus located in the Serra dos Orgäos Mountain Range, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Eleven species of fleas were collected from 601 small rodents, from November 1995 to October 1997, in areas of natural focus of bubonic plague, including the municipalities of Nova Friburgo, Sumidouro and Teresópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Among 924 fleas collected, Polygenis (Polygenis) rimatus (Rhopalopsyllidae) was the predominant species regarding the frequency, representing 41.3% (N:382), followed by P. (Neopolygenis) pradoi, representing 20% (N:185) and Craneopsylla minerva minerva (Stephanocircidae), representing 18.9% (N:175). The host Akodon cursor harbored 47.9% of these fleas. Other six host species were infested by 52.1% of the remaining fleas. Fleas were found on hosts and in places within the focus not previously reported by the literature.

Flebotomíneos de áreas com notificações de casos autóctones de leishmaniose visceral canina e leishmaniose tegumentar americana em Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

The city of Angra dos Reis presents human cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis since 1945. Phlebotomine surveys in 1978 had disclosed the presence of Nyssomyia intermedia and the first notification of Lutzomyia longipalpis in Rio de Janeiro, Ilha Grande, Angra dos Reis. In August of 2002 the first canine case of visceral leishmaniasis in the Ilha Grande, Angra dos Reis was notified. Surveys of phlebotomines in the peridomiciliary areas, in the period of November, 2002, through May, 2003, in four localities of Angra dos Reis, resulted in 12,554 specimens belonging to nine species: Brumptomyia sp. Nyssomyia intermedia, Migonemyia migonei, Micropygomyia schreiberi, Pintomyia fischeri, Psychodopygus davisi, Psychodopygus ayrosai, Evandromyia tupinambay, Psathyromyia pelloni. Nyssomyia intermedia was predominant in all localities, followed by M. migonei. The main vector of the AVL, L. longipalpis, was not detected in the localities, including their surroundings, where an infected dog inhabited.

Aedes aegypti eggs oviposited on water surface collected from field ovitraps in Nova Iguaçu City, Brazil

INTRODUCTION Aedes aegypti eggs can be collected from the water surface. METHODS Aedes aegypti oviposition from 97 field ovitraps was studied. RESULTS Of the 16,016 eggs collected, 11,439 were obtained from paddles in ovitraps and 4,577 from water. Further, 89 (91.8%) traps contained eggs on water and 22 (22.7%) traps contained eggs only on water. CONCLUSIONS In field traps, Aedes aegypti females usually oviposit some eggs on water surface suggesting that they might also oviposit on water of some natural breeding, and this possibility needs to be investigated. Eggs oviposited on water need to be considered for collecting trap data.

Description of Dichelacera (Dichelacera) walteri n. sp. (Diptera: Tabanidae) with a Key to Related Species in the Subgenus Dichelacera Macquart

Dichelacera (Dichelacera) walteri Guimarães, Gorayeb & Rodrigues-Guimarães n. sp. is described from female specimens collected in Marambaia Island, located in Mangaratiba County, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The characterization of the species was based in the following characters: a medium-sized species, more sclerotized than others in the subgenus Dichelacera Macquart, the second segment of palp with dark setae and longer than the third antennal segment, a brown scutum with pruinescence on the anterior half and posterior edges with white tonality, yellow dorsum of abdomen with the last three segments brown, white-yellowish venter with yellow setae, narrow frons with dark brown callus, extending just beyond a ridge in the middle of the frons, vertex with ocelli, hyaline wings with three large black bands, and tricolored legs.

Registro de Aphaereta laeviuscula (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) e Nasonia vitripennis (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) como parasitóide de Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), no estado do Rio de Janeiro

The captures occurred between January and December of 2004 in urban area in the city of Nova Iguacu, the rural area of the city of Seropedica and in a forest area in the Biological Reserve of the Tingua, Nova Iguacu State of Rio de Janeiro. The total of 1,528 larvae of Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) were used as bait, 505 in the urban area, 556 in rural and the 467 in the forest one. The indices of Synantropic, Coefficient of Constancy, the risk (Odds Ratio) of parasitism between the areas was calculated, prevalence and parasitic intensity. The percentage of emergence was of 46.6%. Aphaereta laeviuscula (Spinola) was captured only in rural environment; its indices were: Synantropic I. = +50, c. constancy = 25%, prevalence = 0.72% and I. parasitic = 44.5; already Nasonia vitripennis (Walker) was captured in the areas rural and urban and the indices had been: synanthropy = +98, constancy = 58.3%, Odds Ratio = IC95% = 0,025 0.27, P < 0,05, prevalence = 3.2% and parasitic intensity = 7.35. The risk of parasitism for N. vitripennis in urban areas is high. The occurrence of A. laeviuscula as parasitic of C. hominivorax is registered in the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Métodos e procedimentos usados no controle do Aedes aegypti na bem-sucedida campanha de profilaxia da febre amarela de 1928 e 1929 no Rio de Janeiro

OBJECTIVE to review the challenges and procedures used in Aedes aegypti control and the characteristics of the epidemics in the successful campaign, led by Clementino Fraga, for yellow fever control in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1928 and 1929, before the vaccine (1937) and DDT (1947). METHODS a literature review was conducted by searching official reports, scientific journals and historic textbooks on this subject. RESULTS the A. aegypti control was achieved through the hard and organized work of breeding site police teams, priority in eliminating breeding sites through environmental management measures and a qualified training program for the teams. CONCLUSION the reports demonstrate a set of simple but laborious procedures that could effectively control mosquitoes in urban environment through the work of the teams, who were committed to environmental management measures, aiming at eliminating breeding sites and were capable of handling social and environmental obstacles.Resumo OBJETIVO: revisar os desafios e procedimentos usados para o controle do Aedes aegypti e as caracteristicas da epidemia na bem sucedida campanha de controle da febre amarela conduzida por Clementino Fraga no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, em 1928-1929, portanto, antes da vacina (1937) e do DDT (1947). METODOS: revisao da literatura com busca de relatorios oficiais, periodicos cientificos e livros textos historiograficos sobre o tema. RESULTADOS: o controle do A. aegypti foi obtido com trabalho arduo e organizado das equipes de policia de focos, prioridade na eliminacao dos criadouros com empenho nas medidas de manejo ambiental e um qualificado programa de formacao das equipes. CONCLUSAO: os relatos mostram um conjunto de procedimentos simples, embora laboriosos, que contribuiram para o sucesso no controle da infestacao de mosquitos no ambiente urbano, com a atuacao de equipes empenhadas nas medidas de manejo ambiental para a eliminacao dos criadouros e capazes de lidar com os obstaculos sociais e ambientais.

The robber flies (Diptera, Asilidae) from Marambaia Island, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

During studies on tabanids (horse-fly) populations on Marambaia Island, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the authors collected specimens of robber flies, which are predatory flies belonging to the dipteran family Asilidae. Robber fly species were identified as Lecania leucopyga (Wiedemann, 1828), Mallophora calida (Fabricius, 1787), Triorla striola (Fabricius, 1805) and an undetermined specimen of Taurhynchus genus. Lecania leucopyga (Wiedemann, 1828) and Triorla striola (Fabricius, 1805) are recorded for the first time in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.

Rare Occurrence of Gynandromorphism in Lutzomyia davisi (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Brazil

Abstract Descriptions of morphological anomalies of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) have been recorded in both the New World and the Old World. The majority of these anomalies are associated with the genitalia, the number of cibarial teeth, wing venation, the size of the palps, and other less significant features. Such morphological variations, particularly in symmetry, can result in incorrect species identification. The occurrence of gynandromorphism in sand flies is a rare phenomenon. Currently, only five such cases have been registered in worldwide literature. In Brazil, only one report of gynandromorphism was observed in a specimen of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva 1912) from the state of the Ceará. We report here on the first known case of gynandromorphism in Lutzomyia davisi (Root 1934) captured in Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso state, Brazil.Descriptions of morphological anomalies of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) have been recorded in both the New World and the Old World. The majority of these anomalies are associated with the genitalia, the number of cibarial teeth, wing venation, the size of the palps, and other less significant features. Such morphological variations, particularly in symmetry, can result in incorrect species identification. The occurrence of gynandromorphism in sand flies is a rare phenomenon. Currently, only five such cases have been registered in worldwide literature. In Brazil, only one report of gynandromorphism was observed in a specimen of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva 1912) from the state of the Ceará. We report here on the first known case of gynandromorphism in Lutzomyia davisi (Root 1934) captured in Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso state, Brazil.