Species of Lutzomyia involved in an urban focus of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis

Introduction. A focus of leishmanias transmission was reported in the municipality of El Carmen de Bolivar in the province of Bolivar, Colombia, where both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis cases have occured. Vector identification, ecology and behavior of potential vector species have not been characterized in this region, however. Objectives. Sand fly species of the genus Lutzomyia were identified, patterns of behavior were established, and their possible roles in leishmaniasis transmission were evaluated. Materials and methods. CDC light traps were used in several different habitats; in addition, monthly collections were made with human bait as attraction inside houses as well as outdoor Shannon trap collections. The collection data were compared with independent variables including precipitation, temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity by means of a Pearson correlation matrix to estimate levels of association and to determine the influence of the climatic conditions on the density of adults of Lutzomyia evansi and L. gomezi in each of the habitats. Results. Five species of Lutzomyia were captured: L. evansi, L. cayennensis cayennensis, L. gomezi, L. dubitans, and L. walkeri. Lutzomyia evansi and L. gomezi presented a significant relationship in the abundance of adults indoors with respect to outdoor wind velocity. The Lutzomyia species captured showed an anthropophagic behavior with a constant activity between the 18:00 and 20:00 hrs. Conclusions. Lutzomyia evansi and L. gomezi. are inversely proportional in relationship to wind velocity-when the wind diminishes, the activity of these species increases.