Diversity of phlebotominae in an endemic zone of american visceral leishmaniasis in Venezuela

Abstract

In order to study the ecology of phlebotominae in the population of La Rinconada, in the state of Lara, Venezuela, endemic zone of Leishmaniasis, where cases of American Visceral Leshmaniasis (AVL) have been described, a longitudinal study was conducted during five months, and the presence of phlebotominae was identified one night per month in the surrounding areas of a home where an AVL case had been reported. Six species were found, of which only two were anthropophilic. The most abundant species was Lutzomyia pseudolongipalpis (90%), the abundance peak was observed in July - a dry month preceding the rainiest months of the year. Although in our sample we have not found any evidence that phlebotominae were infected by Leishmania; evidence presented is important for a better understanding of a vector that participates in AVL transmission.