R e v is ta d a S o c ie d a d e B ra sile ira d e M e d ic in a T ro p ic a l 2 3 (4 ): 2 3 5 , o u t-d ez, 1 9 9 0
C O M U N I C A Ç Ã O
L U T Z O M Y IA IN T E R M E D IA
A S A SU SPE C T E D VECTO R OF
L E IS H M A N IA VIAN N IA B R A Z IL IE N S IS
IN B A H IA STATE,
BRAZIL
I.R. Pereira and A. Hoch
W e have reported the predominance of L u tz o m y ia w h itm a n i in the peridomicile in our field project area of Tres Braços, Bahia3 where 99% of phleboto- mines captured were of this species. This is the suspected vector of L e is h m a n ia v ia n n ia b ra zilie n sis (Lvb) and to date three wild caught flies have been found to harbour this parasite of over 18,000 dissected2. W e wish to record here the presence of another suspected vector of Lvb in peridomicile captures using human bait at a farm 40 miles south of Tres Bra ços. These captures are recorded in the Table 1 from Fazenda Vovo where ten cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis occurred in 1986. Each capture unit represents one man hour.
As can be seen monthly observations were not possible over a single year but usually the number of L . in te rm e d ia exceed L . w h itm a n i. This is in contrast to our previous findings in Tres Braços and suggests that L . in te rm e d ia must also be considered as a potential vector in this region since Lvb was the parasite isolated from the human infections. L . in te rm e d ia constituted
85% of captures in a recent report from São Paulo state where it is suspected to be the vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis1.
R EFE R E N C E S
1. Gomes A C : Barata JM S, Rocha e Silva EO , Galati EAB. Aspectos ecológicos da leishmaniose tegumentar americana. 6. Fauna flebotomínea antropófila das matas residuais situadas na região centro-nordeste do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 31: 32-39, 1989.
2. Hoch A, Ryan L. Vexenat JA , Rosa A COC, Barreto AC. Isolation of L e is h m a n ia b ra z ilie n sis b ra zilie n sis
and other trypanosomatids from phlebotomine in a mu cocutaneous leishmaniasis endemic area, Bahia, Brazil. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 81(suppl): 62, 1986.
3. Vexenat JA , Barreto AC, Cuba CC, Marsden PD. Características epidemiológicas da leishmaniose tegu mentar americana em uma região endêmica do Estado da Bahia. III. F auna phlebotommica. Memórias do Insti tuto Oswaldo Cruz 81: 293-301, 1986.
Table 1 - C a p tu res a t F a z e n d a Vovo.
Jan/87 Fev/86 M ar/86 A br/86 Mai/86 Jun/87 Jul/85 Aug/85 Sep/85 Oct/86 N ov/86 D ec/86
Capture units 4 10 35 15 4 1 17 25 34 4 10 3
NP L u tz o m y ia
w h itm a n i 15 13 264 60 142 12 760 378 123 58 163 4
N.° L u tz o m y ia
in te rm e d ia 15 88 495 305 65 5 1432 823 411 103 163 36
N úcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de Brasília.
Recebido para publicação em 22/11/90.
