Publications

comparative analysis of salivary gland transcriptomes of phlebotomus orientalis sand flies from endemic and non-endemic foci of visceral leishmaniasis.	in east africa, phlebotomus orientalis serves as the main vector of leishmania donovani, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (vl). phlebotomus orientalis is present at two distant localities in ethiopia; addis zemen where vl is endemic and melka werer where transmission of vl does not occur. to find out whether the difference in epidemiology of vl is due to distant compositions of p. orientalis saliva we established colonies from addis zemen and melka werer, analyzed and compared the t ...	2014	24587463
exposure to leishmania spp. and sand flies in domestic animals in northwestern ethiopia.	human visceral leishmaniasis caused by leishmania donovani is considered an anthroponosis; however, leishmania-infected animals have been increasingly reported in l. donovani foci, and the role of these animals as reservoirs for human l. donovani infection remains unclear.	2015	26152578
comparison of bloodmeal digestion and the peritrophic matrix in four sand fly species differing in susceptibility to leishmania donovani.	the early stage of leishmania development in sand flies is closely connected with bloodmeal digestion. here we compared various parameters of bloodmeal digestion in sand flies that are either susceptible (phlebotomus argentipes and p. orientalis) or refractory (p. papatasi and sergentomyia schwetzi) to leishmania donovani, to study the effects on vector competence. the volume of the bloodmeal ingested, time of defecation of bloodmeal remnants, timing of formation and degradation of the peritroph ...	2015	26030610
techniques to improve the maintenance of a laboratory colony of nyssomyia neivai (diptera: psychodidae).	the most critical phase in sand fly colonization is the high mortality in the larval instars. in this study, we sought out strategies for improving the colonization of nyssomyia neivai, one of the vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis agent in south america.	2015	26276040
geographic distribution of phlebotomine sandfly species (diptera: psychodidae) in central-west brazil.	this study updates the geographic distributions of phlebotomine species in central-west brazil and analyses the climatic factors associated with their occurrence. the data were obtained from the entomology services of the state departments of health in central-west brazil, scientific collections and a literature review of articles from 1962-2014. ecological niche models were produced for sandfly species with more than 20 occurrences using the maxent algorithm and eight climate variables. in all, ...	2015	26018450
natural transmission of leishmania infantum through experimentally infected phlebotomus perniciosus highlights the virulence of leishmania parasites circulating in the human visceral leishmaniasis outbreak in madrid, spain.	a human leishmaniasis outbreak is occurring in the madrid region, spain, with the parasite and vector involved being leishmania infantum and phlebotomus perniciosus respectively. the aim of this study was to investigate the virulence of l. infantum isolates from the focus using a natural transmission model. hamsters were infected by intraperitoneal inoculation (ip) or by bites of sand flies experimentally infected with l. infantum isolates obtained from p. perniciosus collected in the outbreak a ...	2015	26645907
natural hybrid of leishmania infantum/l. donovani: development in phlebotomus tobbi, p. perniciosus and lutzomyia longipalpis and comparison with non-hybrid strains differing in tissue tropism.	infection caused by parasites from l. donovani complex can manifest as a serious visceral disease or a self-healing milder cutaneous form. the different tropism and pathology in humans is caused by the interaction between parasites, host and vector determinants but the mechanisms are not well understood. in cukurova region in turkey we previously identified a major focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by l. donovani/infantum hybrids (cuk strain) and isolated this parasite from the locally abu ...	2015	26608249
kinetics of anti-phlebotomus perniciosus saliva antibodies in experimentally bitten mice and rabbits.	sand flies are hematophagous arthropods that act as vectors of leishmania parasites. when hosts are bitten they develop cellular and humoral responses against sand fly saliva. a positive correlation has been observed between the number of bites and antibody levels indicating that anti-saliva antibody response can be used as marker of exposure to sand flies. little is known about kinetics of antibodies against phlebotomus perniciosus salivary gland homogenate (sgh) or recombinant salivary protein ...	2015	26569103
de novo assembly and sex-specific transcriptome profiling in the sand fly phlebotomus perniciosus (diptera, phlebotominae), a major old world vector of leishmania infantum.	the phlebotomine sand fly phlebotomus perniciosus (diptera: psychodidae, phlebotominae) is a major old world vector of the protozoan leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniases in humans and dogs, a worldwide re-emerging diseases of great public health concern, affecting 101 countries. despite the growing interest in the study of this sand fly species in the last years, the development of genomic resources has been limited so far. to increase the available ...	2015	26493315
validation of recombinant salivary protein ppsp32 as a suitable marker of human exposure to phlebotomus papatasi, the vector of leishmania major in tunisia.	during a blood meal, female sand flies, vectors of leishmania parasites, inject saliva into the host skin. sand fly saliva is composed of a large variety of components that exert different pharmacological activities facilitating the acquisition of blood by the insect. importantly, proteins present in saliva are able to elicit the production of specific anti-saliva antibodies, which can be used as markers for exposure to vector bites. serological tests using total sand fly salivary gland extracts ...	2015	26368935
canine antibodies against salivary recombinant proteins of phlebotomus perniciosus: a longitudinal study in an endemic focus of canine leishmaniasis.	phlebotomine sand flies are vectors of leishmania parasites. during blood feeding, sand flies deposit into the host skin immunogenic salivary proteins which elicit specific antibody responses. these anti-saliva antibodies enable an estimate of the host exposure to sand flies and, in leishmaniasis endemic areas, also the risk for leishmania infections. however, the use of whole salivary gland homogenates as antigen has several limitations, and therefore, recombinant salivary proteins have been te ...	2015	26111018
xenodiagnosis of leishmania donovani in balb/c mice using phlebotomus orientalis: a new laboratory model.	in areas endemic for visceral leishmaniasis (vl), the majority of infected hosts remain asymptomatic but potentially infectious to biting sand flies. their infectiousness for sand fly vectors is crucial for the transmission of the disease and can be quantified only by xenodiagnosis. however, in the case of human hosts, xenodiagnosis can be problematic for ethical and logistic reasons. the balb/c mouse model described in this paper was designed to enable xenodiagnostic studies on vl hosts circumv ...	2015	25881258
immunogenicity and serological cross-reactivity of saliva proteins among different tsetse species.	tsetse are vectors of pathogenic trypanosomes, agents of human and animal trypanosomiasis in africa. components of tsetse saliva (sialome) are introduced into the mammalian host bite site during the blood feeding process and are important for tsetse's ability to feed efficiently, but can also influence disease transmission and serve as biomarkers for host exposure. we compared the sialome components from four tsetse species in two subgenera: subgenus morsitans: glossina morsitans morsitans (gmm) ...	2015	26313460
sequence-independent characterization of viruses based on the pattern of viral small rnas produced by the host.	virus surveillance in vector insects is potentially of great benefit to public health. large-scale sequencing of small and long rnas has previously been used to detect viruses, but without any formal comparison of different strategies. furthermore, the identification of viral sequences largely depends on similarity searches against reference databases. here, we developed a sequence-independent strategy based on virus-derived small rnas produced by the host response, such as the rna interference ...	2015	26040701
arthropod vectors and disease transmission: translational aspects.		2015	26583380
bacterial infection and immune responses in lutzomyia longipalpis sand fly larvae midgut.	the midgut microbial community in insect vectors of disease is crucial for an effective immune response against infection with various human and animal pathogens. depending on the aspects of their development, insects can acquire microbes present in soil, water, and plants. sand flies are major vectors of leishmaniasis, and shown to harbor a wide variety of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. sand fly larval stages acquire microorganisms from the soil, and the abundance and distribution of ...	2015	26154607
wolbachia and the insect immune system: what reactive oxygen species can tell us about the mechanisms of wolbachia-host interactions.	wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that infect a vast range of arthropod species, making them one of the most prevalent endosymbionts in the world. wolbachia's stunning evolutionary success is mostly due to their reproductive parasitism but also to mutualistic effects such as increased host fecundity or protection against pathogens. however, the mechanisms underlying wolbachia phenotypes, both parasitic and mutualistic, are only poorly understood. moreover, it is unclear how the insect immune ...	2015	26579107
survey of sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in an environmentally protected area in brazil.	brazil is one of the most important endemic areas for leishmaniasis worldwide. protected areas that are tourist attractions likely present an important risk of transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl). furthermore, with the geographical expansion of visceral leishmaniasis (vl), several studies have recorded the occurrence of its vector, lutzomyia longipalpis, and cases of human and canine vl in such tourist areas. the parque estadual do sumidouro is an environmentally protected area located ...	2015	26267484
colonization of lutzomyia verrucarum and lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) by bartonella bacilliformis, the etiologic agent of carrión's disease.	bartonella bacilliformis is a pathogenic bacterium transmitted to humans presumably by bites of phlebotomine sand flies, infection with which results in a bi-phasic syndrome termed carrión's disease. after constructing a low-passage gfp-labeled strain of b. bacilliformis, we artificially infected lutzomyia verrucarum and l. longipalpis populations, and subsequently monitored colonization of sand flies by fluorescence microscopy. initially, colonization of the two fly species was indistinguishabl ...	2015	26436553
genetic divergence between populations of feral and domestic forms of a mosquito disease vector assessed by transcriptomics.	culex pipiens, an invasive mosquito and vector of west nile virus in the us, has two morphologically indistinguishable forms that differ dramatically in behavior and physiology. cx. pipiens form pipiens is primarily a bird-feeding temperate mosquito, while the sub-tropical cx. pipiens form molestus thrives in sewers and feeds on mammals. because the feral form can diapause during the cold winters but the domestic form cannot, the two cx. pipiens forms are allopatric in northern europe and, altho ...	2015	25755934
aerobic bacterial flora of biotic and abiotic compartments of a hyperendemic zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) focus.	identification of the microflora of the sand fly gut and the environmental distribution of these bacteria are important components for paratransgenic control of leishmania transmission by sand flies.	2015	25630498
expression, purification, crystallization and crystallographic study of lutzomyia longipalpis ljl143.	leishmaniasis is a neglected vector-borne disease with a global prevalence of over 12 million cases and 59,000 annual deaths. transmission of the parasite requires salivary proteins, including ljl143 from the new world sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis. ljl143 is a known marker of sandfly exposure in zoonotic hosts. ljl143 was crystallized from soluble protein expressed using pichia pastoris. x-ray data were collected to 2.6 å resolution from orthorhombic crystals belonging to space group p2(1)2(1)2 ...	2015	26144240
identification and function analysis of enolase gene nleno1 from nilaparvata lugens (stål) (hemiptera:delphacidae).	the enolase [ec 4.2.1.11] is an essential enzyme in the glycolytic pathway catalyzing the conversion of 2-phosphoglycerate (2-pge) to phosphoenolpyruvate (pep). in this study, a full-length cdna encoding α-enolase was cloned from rice brown planthopper (nilaparvata lugens) and is provisionally designated as nleno1. the cdna sequence of nleno1 was 1,851 bp with an open reading frame (orf) of 1,305 bp and encoding 434 amino acids. the deduced protein shares high identity of 80-87% with eno1-like p ...	2015	26056319
identification of phlebotomine sand fly blood meals by real-time pcr.	phlebotomine sand flies are blood-feeding insects of great medical and veterinary significance acting as vectors of leishmania parasites. studying the blood-feeding pattern of these insects may help in the understanding of their interactions with potential reservoir hosts of leishmania parasites. in this study, we developed real time pcr assays for the identification of sand fly blood meal.	2015	25889289
nucleosides present on phlebotomine saliva induce immunossuppression and promote the infection establishment.	sand fly saliva plays a crucial role in establishing leishmania infection. we identified adenosine (ado) and adenosine monophosphate (amp) as active pharmacologic compounds present in phlebotomus papatasi saliva that inhibit dendritic cell (dc) functions through a pge2/il 10-dependent mechanism.	2015	25849562
recent advances in phlebotomine sand fly research related to leishmaniasis control.	phlebotomine sand flies are the subject of much research because of the role of their females as the only proven natural vectors of leishmania species, the parasitic protozoans that are the causative agents of the neglected tropical disease leishmaniasis. activity in this field was highlighted by the eighth international symposium on phlebotomine sand flies (isops) held in september 2014, which prompted this review focusing on vector control. topics reviewed include: taxonomy and phylogenetics, ...	2015	25885217
effect of leishmania spp infection on the survival, life expectancy, fecundity and fertility of lutzomyia longipalpiss.l. and lutzomyia pseudolongipalpis.	we evaluated the effects of leishmaniaspp infection on several population parameters of lutzomyia longipalpis sensu lato andlutzomyia pseudolongipalpis, vectors of visceral leishmaniasis in venezuela, under experimental conditions during the first post-feeding period. females of both species were allowed to feed and engorge on a suspension of fresh washed human red blood cells in foetal calf serum. these blood cells were either non-infected or infected with one of the fourleishmaniaspp strains a ...	2015	26132427
attraction and oviposition preferences of phlebotomus papatasi (diptera: psychodidae), vector of old-world cutaneous leishmaniasis, to larval rearing media.	as part of a project aimed at developing oviposition attractants for the control and surveillance of phlebotomus papatasi (a vector of old-world cutaneous leishmaniasis), we tested the hypothesis that gravid sand flies are attracted to chemical cues emanating from the growth medium of conspecific larvae - predominantly larvae-conditioned host feces that represents a suitable oviposition site. we report the results of a systematic assessment of media from various developmental stages of the sand ...	2015	26714743
molecular cloning and functional studies of two kazal-type serine protease inhibitors specifically expressed by nasonia vitripennis venom apparatus.	two cdna sequences of kazal-type serine protease inhibitors (kspis) in nasonia vitripennis, nvkspi-1 and nvkspi-2, were characterized and their open reading frames (orfs) were 198 and 264 bp, respectively. both nvkspi-1 and nvkspi-2 contained a typical kazal-type domain. real-time quantitative pcr (rt-qpcr) results revealed that nvkspi-1 and nvkspi-2 mrnas were mostly detected specifically in the venom apparatus, while they were expressed at lower levels in the ovary and much lower levels in oth ...	2015	26248077
assessing insecticide susceptibility of laboratory lutzomyia longipalpis and phlebotomus papatasi sand flies (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).	chemical insecticides are effective for controlling lutzomyia and phlebotomus sand fly (diptera: psychodidae) vectors of leishmania parasites. however, repeated use of certain insecticides has led to tolerance and resistance. the objective of this study was to determine lethal concentrations (lcs) and lethal exposure times (lts) to assess levels of susceptibility of laboratory lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and nieva) and phlebotomus papatasi (scopoli) to 10 insecticides using a modified version of ...	2015	26336231
seasonal and physiological variations of phlebotomus papatasi salivary gland antigens in central iran.	sand fly saliva helps parasite establishment and induce immune responses in vertebrate hosts. in the current study, we investigated the modulation of phlebotomus papatasi salivary gland antigen expression by seasonal and biological factors.	2015	27047970
phlebotomus papatasi sp15: mrna expression variability and amino acid sequence polymorphisms of field populations.	the phlebotomus papatasi salivary protein ppsp15 was shown to protect mice against leishmania major, suggesting that incorporation of salivary molecules in multi-component vaccines may be a viable strategy for anti-leishmania vaccines.	2015	26022221
an overview on leishmania vaccines: a narrative review article.	leishmaniasis is one of the major health problems and categorized as a class i disease (emerging and uncontrolled) by world health organization (who), causing highly significant morbidity and mortality. indeed, more than 350 million individuals are at risk of leishmania infection, and about 1.6 million new cases occur causing more than 50 thousands death annually. because of the severe toxicity and drug resistance, present chemotherapy regimen against diverse forms of leishmania infections is no ...	2015	25992245
small rnas derived from trnas and rrnas are highly enriched in exosomes from both old and new world leishmania providing evidence for conserved exosomal rna packaging.	leishmania use exosomes to communicate with their mammalian hosts and these secreted vesicles appear to contribute to pathogenesis by delivering protein virulence factors to macrophages. in other eukaryotes, exosomes were found to carry rna cargo, such as mrnas and small non-coding rnas, capable of altering recipient cell phenotype. whether leishmania exosomes also contain rnas which they are able to deliver to bystander cells is not known. here, we show that leishmania exosomes indeed contain r ...	2015	25764986
an integrated approach using spatial analysis to study the risk factors for leishmaniasis in area of recent transmission.	some epidemiological aspects of leishmaniasis in the municipality of formiga, brazil, an important touristic site, were evaluated. those included phlebotomine sand fly vectors, canine infection, and geoprocessing analysis for determining critical transmission areas. sand flies (224 insects) belonging to ten different species were captured. the most captured species included lutzomyia longipalpis (35.3%), lutzomyia cortelezzii (33.5%), and lutzomyia whitmani (18.3%). a significant correlation bet ...	2015	26229961
trypanosomes modify the behavior of their insect hosts: effects on locomotion and on the expression of a related gene.	as a result of evolution, the biology of triatomines must have been significantly adapted to accommodate trypanosome infection in a complex network of vector-vertebrate-parasite interactions. arthropod-borne parasites have probably developed mechanisms, largely still unknown, to exploit the vector-vertebrate host interactions to ensure their transmission to suitable hosts. triatomines exhibit a strong negative phototaxis and nocturnal activity, believed to be important for insect survival agains ...	2015	26291723
attraction of the sand fly nyssomyia neivai (diptera: psychodidae) to chemical compounds in a wind tunnel.	similar to other hematophagous insects, male and female sand flies must feed on plants to obtain sugar and, subsequently, energy to complete their life cycles. a large number of compounds emitted by plants may act as volatile signals to these insects. primary alcohols have been detected in some plants, but in small amounts. in a previous report, the attractiveness of saturated primary alcohols with 7 to 9 carbons was evaluated for lutzomyia longipalpis, the vector of american visceral leishmania ...	2015	25889391
the past, present, and future of leishmania genomics and transcriptomics.	it has been nearly 10 years since the completion of the first entire genome sequence of a leishmania parasite. genomic and transcriptomic analyses have advanced our understanding of the biology of leishmania, and shed new light on the complex interactions occurring within the parasite-host-vector triangle. here, we review these advances and examine potential avenues for translation of these discoveries into treatment and control programs. in addition, we argue for a strong need to explore how di ...	2015	25638444
interleukin 10-dominant immune response and increased risk of cutaneous leishmaniasis after natural exposure to lutzomyia intermedia sand flies.	leishmaniasis is caused by parasites transmitted to the vertebrate host by infected sand flies. during transmission, the vertebrate host is also inoculated with sand fly saliva, which exerts powerful immunomodulatory effects on the host's immune response.	2015	25596303
phlebotomine sand fly fauna and leishmania infection in the vicinity of the serra do cipó national park, a natural brazilian heritage site.	in the new world, the leishmaniases are primarily transmitted to humans through the bites of leishmania-infected lutzomyia (diptera: psychodidae) phlebotomine sand flies. any or both of two basic clinical forms of these diseases are endemic to several cities in brazil--the american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) and the american visceral leishmaniasis (avl). the present study was conducted in the urban area of a small-sized brazilian municipality (jaboticatubas), in which three cases of avl and n ...	2015	25793193
lutzomyia longipalpis urbanisation and control.	since the description of lutzomyia longipalpis by lutz and neiva more than 100 years ago, much has been written in the scientific literature about this phlebotomine species. soares and turco (2003) and lainson and rangel (2005) have written extensive reviews focused on vector-host-parasite interactions and american visceral leishmaniasis ecology. however, during the last two decades, the success of lu. longipalpis in colonising urban environments and its simultaneous geographical spreading have ...	2015	26517497
molecular detection of leishmania in phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) from a cutaneous leishmaniasis focus atxakriabá indigenous reserve, brazil.	autochthonous cases of american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) have been reported since 2001 in the xakriabá indigenous reserve located in the municipality of são joão das missões in northern minas gerais state, brazil. in order to study the presence of leishmania dna in phlebotomine sand flies, six entomological collections were carried out from july 2008 through july 2009, using 40 light traps placed in peridomicile areas of 20 randomly selected houses. from october 2011 through august 2012, an ...	2015	25853254
phenotypic and genotypic variations among three allopatric populations of lutzomyia umbratilis, main vector of leishmania guyanensis.	in south america, lutzomyia umbratilis is the main vector of leishmania guyanensis, one of the species involved in the transmission of american tegumentary leishmaniasis. in brazil, l. umbratilis has been recorded in the amazon region, and in the state of pernambuco, northeastern region, where an isolated population has been identified. this study assessed the phylogeographic structure and size and shape differences of the wing of three brazilian populations.	2015	26338469
an ecological study of sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in the vicinity of lençóis maranhenses national park, maranhão, brazil.	the lençóis maranhenses national park, located in maranhão, brazil, is a region of exceptional beauty and a popular tourist destination. the adjoining area has suffered from the impact of human activity and, consequently, has experienced outbreaks of leishmaniasis. this study aimed to evaluate the composition, abundance, species richness and seasonal distribution of sand flies in the region and to determine the constancy of the insect population.	2015	26315017
comparison of the phlebotomine (diptera: psychodidae) fauna of urban, transitional, and wild areas in northern minas gerais, brazil.	phlebotomines are directly related to the study of leishmaniases, and so the study of their distribution plays an important role in the epidemiology of these diseases. collections of phlebotomines were made with the intent of comparing the distribution, richness, diversity, and abundance of species in three distinct environments in an area endemic for tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis in minas gerais state, brazil.	2015	26286135
lutzomyia longipalpis presence and abundance distribution at different micro-spatial scales in an urban scenario.	the principal objective of this study was to assess a modeling approach to lu. longipalpis distribution in an urban scenario, discriminating micro-scale landscape variables at microhabitat and macrohabitat scales and the presence from the abundance of the vector. for this objective, we studied vectors and domestic reservoirs and evaluated different environmental variables simultaneously, so we constructed a set of 13 models to account for micro-habitats, macro-habitats and mixed-habitats. we cap ...	2015	26274318
the biting midge culicoides sonorensis (diptera: ceratopogonidae) is capable of developing late stage infections of leishmania enriettii.	despite their importance in animal and human health, the epidemiology of species of the leishmania enriettii complex remains poorly understood, including the identity of their biological vectors. biting midges of the genus forcipomyia (lasiohelea) have been implicated in the transmission of a member of the l. enriettii complex in australia, but the far larger and more widespread genus culicoides has not been investigated for the potential to include vectors to date.	2015	26367424
leishmania amazonensis dna in wild females of lutzomyia cruzi (diptera: psychodidae) in the state of mato grosso do sul, brazil.	studies on natural infection by leishmania spp of sandflies collected in endemic and nonendemic areas can provide important information on the distribution and intensity of the transmission of these parasites. this study sought to investigate the natural infection by leishmaniain wild female sandflies. the specimens were caught in the city of corumbá, state of mato grosso do sul (brazil) between october 2012-march 2014, and dissected to investigate flagellates and/or submitted to molecular analy ...	2015	26602870
ecological niche modelling predicts southward expansion of lutzomyia (nyssomyia) flaviscutellata (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae), vector of leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis in south america, under climate change.	vector borne diseases are susceptible to climate change because distributions and densities of many vectors are climate driven. the amazon region is endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis and is predicted to be severely impacted by climate change. recent records suggest that the distributions of lutzomyia (nyssomyia) flaviscutellata and the parasite it transmits, leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis, are expanding southward, possibly due to climate change, and sometimes associated with new human inf ...	2015	26619186
natural infection of phlebotomines (diptera: psychodidae) by leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis in an area of ecotourism in central-western brazil.	bonito municipality, known as an area of ecoturism, in mato grosso do sul state, brazil, is also a focus of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniases, with cases registered in both human and canine populations. this study sought to investigate natural infection by flagellate forms of leishmania in phlebotomines of the urban area of bonito.	2015	26435708
dna barcoding of neotropical sand flies (diptera, psychodidae, phlebotominae): species identification and discovery within brazil.	dna barcoding has been an effective tool for species identification in several animal groups. here, we used dna barcoding to discriminate between 47 morphologically distinct species of brazilian sand flies. dna barcodes correctly identified approximately 90% of the sampled taxa (42 morphologically distinct species) using clustering based on neighbor-joining distance, of which four species showed comparatively higher maximum values of divergence (range 4.23-19.04%), indicating cryptic diversity. ...	2015	26506007
spatial distribution of sand fly vectors and eco-epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission in colombia.	leishmania is transmitted by phlebotominae insects that maintain the enzootic cycle by circulating between sylvatic and domestic mammals; humans enter the cycles as accidental hosts due to the vector's search for blood source. in colombia, leishmaniasis is an endemic disease and 95% of all cases are cutaneous (cl), these cases have been reported in several regions of the country where the intervention of sylvatic areas by the introduction of agriculture seem to have an impact on the rearrangemen ...	2015	26431546
identification of communal oviposition pheromones from the black fly simulium vittatum.	the suite of pheromones that promote communal oviposition by simulium vittatum, a north american black fly species, was identified and characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, electrophysiological, and behavioral bioassays. behavioral assays demonstrated that communal oviposition was induced by egg-derived compounds that were active at short range and whose effect was enhanced through direct contact. three compounds (cis-9-tetradecen-1-ol, 1-pentadecene, and 1-tridecene) were id ...	2015	25786206
genetic structuring and fixed polymorphisms in the gene period among natural populations of lutzomyia longipalpis in brazil.	even one hundred years after being originally identified, aspects of the taxonomy of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis, the principal vector of leishmania infantum in the americas, remain unresolved for brazilian populations of this vector. the diversity of morphological, behavioral, biochemical, and ethological characters, as well as the genetic variability detected by molecular markers are indicative of the presence of a complex of species.	2015	25889567
genetically modifying the insect gut microbiota to control chagas disease vectors through systemic rnai.	technologies based on rna interference may be used for insect control. sustainable strategies are needed to control vectors of chagas disease such as rhodnius prolixus. the insect microbiota can be modified to deliver molecules to the gut. here, escherichia coli ht115(de3) expressing dsrna for the rhodnius heme-binding protein (rhbp) and for catalase (cat) were fed to nymphs and adult triatomine stages. rhbp is an egg protein and cat is an antioxidant enzyme expressed in all tissues by all devel ...	2015	25675102
baseline susceptibility to alpha-cypermethrin in lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) from lapinha cave (brazil).	given the increase in cases of visceral leishmaniasis in recent years, associated with the socio-economic impact of this disease, as well as the wide distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis in brazil and the likelihood that this vector may develop resistance to insecticides used for control, the ministry of health considers as crucial the creation of a network in order to study and monitor the resistance of this vector to insecticides used for control. in this sense, this study aimed: 1) to charac ...	2015	26381242
successful isolation of leishmania infantum from rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (acari: ixodidae) collected from naturally infected dogs.	the main transmission route of leishmania infantum is through the bites of sand flies. however, alternative mechanisms are being investigated, such as through the bites of ticks, which could have epidemiological relevance. the objective of this work was to verify the presence of leishmania spp. in rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato collected from naturally infected dogs in the federal district of brazil.	2015	26452666
epidemiologic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in renal transplant recipients: experience from thirty cases.	visceral leishmaniasis is a disease caused by the protozoan leishmania sp. and is transmitted by lutzomyia longipalpis (sand fly). in renal transplant recipients, visceral leishmaniasis causes severe damage to the liver, spleen, and hematopoietic system, as well as poor outcomes for patients with transplanted kidneys. this study describes the largest series of cases of visceral leishmaniasis in renal transplant recipients, providing important information about the diagnostic routines and therape ...	2015	25877483
vaccination with leishmania infantum acidic ribosomal p0 but not with nucleosomal histones proteins controls leishmania infantum infection in hamsters.	several intracellular leishmania antigens have been identified in order to find a potential vaccine capable of conferring long lasting protection against leishmania infection. histones and acid ribosomal proteins are already known to induce an effective immune response and have successfully been tested in the cutaneous leishmaniasis mouse model. here, we investigate the protective ability of l. infantum nucleosomal histones (his) and ribosomal acidic protein p0 (lip0) against l. infantum infecti ...	2015	25642946
leishmania (l.) mexicana infected bats in mexico: novel potential reservoirs.	leishmania (leishmania) mexicana causes cutaneous leishmaniasis, an endemic zoonosis affecting a growing number of patients in the southeastern states of mexico. some foci are found in shade-grown cocoa and coffee plantations, or near perennial forests that provide rich breeding grounds for the sand fly vectors, but also harbor a variety of bat species that live off the abundant fruits provided by these shade-giving trees. the close proximity between sand flies and bats makes their interaction f ...	2015	25629729
multi-antigen print immunoassay (mapia)-based evaluation of novel recombinant leishmania infantum antigens for the serodiagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis.	domestic dogs are the principal reservoir hosts of leishmania infantum in regions where visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is endemic. although serologic methods are frequently used for the screening of infected dogs, antibody-based tests require further assessment, due to lack of sensitivity and specificity. in this study, we employed a multi-antigen printing immunoassay (mapia) to compare the antibody responses to novel recombinant proteins of l. infantum with the potential for the detection of canin ...	2015	25616448
phytomonas: trypanosomatids adapted to plant environments.	over 100 years after trypanosomatids were first discovered in plant tissues, phytomonas parasites have now been isolated across the globe from members of 24 different plant families. most identified species have not been associated with any plant pathology and to date only two species are definitively known to cause plant disease. these diseases (wilt of palm and coffee phloem necrosis) are problematic in areas of south america where they threaten the economies of developing countries. in contra ...	2015	25607944
leishmania enriettii: biochemical characterisation of lipophosphoglycans (lpgs) and glycoinositolphospholipids (gipls) and infectivity to cavia porcellus.	leishmania enriettii is a species non-infectious to man, whose reservoir is the guinea pig cavia porcellus. many aspects of the parasite-host interaction in this model are unknown, especially those involving parasite surface molecules. while lipophosphoglycans (lpgs) and glycoinositolphospholipids (gipls) of leishmania species from the old and new world have already been described, glycoconjugates of l. enriettii and their importance are still unknown.	2015	25595203
phenotypic differentiation in love song traits among sibling species of the lutzomyia longipalpis complex in brazil.	brazilian populations of lutzomyia longipalpis may constitute a complex of cryptic species, and this report investigates the distribution and number of potential sibling species. one of the main differences observed among brazilian populations is the type of acoustic signal produced by males during copulation. these copulation song differences seem to be evolving faster than neutral molecular markers and have been suggested to contribute to insemination failure observed in crosses between these ...	2015	26017472
oviposition in the blood-sucking insect rhodnius prolixus is modulated by host odors.	triatomine bugs are blood-sucking insects, vectors of chagas disease. despite their importance, their oviposition behavior has received relatively little attention. some triatomines including rhodnius prolixus stick their eggs to a substrate. it is known that mechanical cues stimulate oviposition in this species. however, it is not clear if chemical signals play a role in this behavior. we studied the role of host cues, including host odor, in the oviposition behavior of the triatomine r. prolix ...	2015	25956818
knowledge of the population about visceral leishmaniasis transmission in endemic areas near the banks of the mossoró river in northeastern brazil.	visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is an anthropozoonosis with high prevalence and incidence in the northeastern region of brazil. this study aimed to determine whether people living near the mossoró river in the city of mossoró, rio grande do norte, have knowledge of vl and to characterize the environmental properties of this region. questionnaires were administered to 478 residents in three neighborhoods near the mossoró river, addressing the population's knowledge about vl and environmental characte ...	2015	25809514
distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis chemotype populations in são paulo state, brazil.	american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) is an emerging disease in the state of são paulo, brazil. its geographical expansion and the increase in the number of human cases has been linked to dispersion of lutzomyia longipalpis into urban areas. to produce more accurate risk maps we investigated the geographic distribution and routes of expansion of the disease as well as chemotype populations of the vector.	2015	25781320
scanning and three-dimensional electron microscopy methods for the study of trypanosoma brucei and leishmania mexicana flagella.	three-dimensional electron microscopy tools have revolutionized our understanding of cell structure and molecular complexes in biology. here, we describe methods for studying flagellar ultrastructure and biogenesis in two unicellular parasites-trypanosoma brucei and leishmania mexicana. we describe methods for the preparation of these parasites for scanning electron microscopy cellular electron tomography, and serial block face scanning electron microscopy (sbfsem). these parasites have a highly ...	2015	25837406
visceral leishmaniasis caused by leishmania infantum in salta, argentina: possible reservoirs and vectors.	cases of human visceral leishmaniasis (hvl) were not recorded until recently in the chaco region of northwestern argentina. dogs were surveyed at the sites of infection of two hvl index cases in the chaco region of salta province. canine cases (canl) were diagnosed by two parasitological methods, two molecular methods targeting mini- and maxicircle dna, and immunochromatographic dipstick. among 77 dogs studied, 10 (13%) were found infected with leishmania spp. in seven dogs and two humans, the i ...	2015	26055744
seroepidemiological survey of canine leishmania infections from peripheral areas in natal, northeast brazil.	human visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in natal, northeast of brazil, where the domestic dog is an important parasite reservoir in the infectious cycle of leishmania spp. in this study, was evaluated the antileishmanial igg antibody and epidemiological factors related to canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl).	2015	26668661
studies on phlebotominae (diptera: psychodidae) in the campus fiocruz mata atlântica, jacarepaguá, in the city of rio de janeiro, brazil.	the presence of american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) in the communities of the campus fiocruz mata atlântica (cfma) in the city of rio de janeiro initiated the investigation of the phlebotominae fauna in the atlantic forest to determine the occurrence of putative acl vectors associated with the enzootic cycle.	2015	25860460
morphometric analysis of longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) complex populations in mato grosso do sul, brazil.	owing to the existence of cryptic species that are difficult to distinguish morphologically, the search for new taxonomic characters and methods for identifying and classifying sand flies continues. lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) and lutzomyia cruzi (mangabeira, 1938) (diptera: psychodidae) are two such species that occur in sympatry in some regions of mato grosso do sul state (ms). twenty females and twenty males from each of the five populations of lu. longipalpis and one populatio ...	2015	26334809
transmissibility of leishmania infantum from maned wolves (chrysocyon brachyurus) and bush dogs (speothos venaticus) to lutzomyia longipalpis.	leishmania (leishmania) infantum is the cause of visceral leishmaniasis in the americas. the disease is transmitted mostly through the bite of the invertebrate vector, the phlebotomine lutzomyia longipalpis in the new world. although the domestic dog is considered the most important reservoir of the disease, other mammalian, including wildlife, are susceptible to infection. the goal of this study was to perform xenodiagnosis to evaluate the capacity of naturally infected maned wolves (chrysocyon ...	2015	26342623
antibodies to leishmania spp. in domestic felines.	leishmaniasis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by protozoa in the genus leishmania, typical of rural and peri-urban environments. the causative agent of american visceral leishmaniasis is leishmania (leishmania) infantum chagasi and the main insect vector in brazil is lutzomyia longipalpis. dogs (canis familiaris) are important in the transmission of the disease, as a reservoir closely related to humans and an infection source for phlebotomine vectors. since 1990, an increasing number o ...	2015	26689182
description of six autochthonous cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis diagnosed in pedregulho (são paulo, brazil).	visceral leishmaniasis is an infectious disease of chronic, emerging and zoonotic nature that presents various degrees of severity. in brazil, this illness is caused by leishmania infantum (leishmania chagasi), which is transmitted by the bite of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis, and dogs are its main reservoir. given the increasing spread of this disease across brazil, the aim of this study was to report on six cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis, diagnosed in june 2013, in the city of ped ...	2015	26154962
first description of migonemyia migonei (frança) and nyssomyia whitmani (antunes & coutinho) (psychodidae: phlebotominae) natural infected by leishmania infantum in argentina.	leishmania infantum is the etiological agent of the visceral leishmaniasis (vl) disease in america, with lutzomyia longipalpis phlebotomine sandflies as its proven vectors in argentina, and infected dogs as its main urban reservoir. in puerto iguazú city (misiones province, argentina), human and canine cases of vl were recorded. additionally, in the rural area known as "2000 hectáreas", less than 10km away from the city, several human cases of tegumentary leishmaniasis (tl) were registered deter ...	2015	26409011
epidemiological aspects of vector, parasite, and domestic reservoir in areas of recent transmission and no reported human cases of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil.	about 97% of the human cases of the american visceral leishmaniasis (vl) occur in brazil. in the last few years, the disease expanded to medium- and large-sized cities, in which surveillance and control actions have been intensified, in an effort to control vl spreading. our two-year study was conducted in belo horizonte, the sixth most populous city in brazil, which is endemic for vl. we focused in two particular districts of recent transmission of the disease, with no reported human cases and ...	2015	25882769
in vitro activity of phospholipase a2 and of peptides from crotalus durissus terrificus venom against amastigote and promastigote forms of leishmania (l.) infantum chagasi.	american visceral leishmaniasis is caused by the intracellular parasite leishmania (l.) infantum chagasi, and transmitted by the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis. since treatment is based on classical chemotherapeutics with significant side effects, the search for new drugs remains the greatest global challenge. thus, this in vitro study aimed to evaluate the leishmanicidal effect of crotalus durissus terrificus venom fractions on promastigote and amastigote forms of leishmania (l.) infantum chaga ...	2015	26609302
a novel molecular test to diagnose canine visceral leishmaniasis at the point of care.	dogs are the principal reservoir hosts of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (vl) but current serological methods are not sensitive enough to detect all subclinically infected animals, which is crucial to vl control programs. polymerase chain reaction (pcr) methods have greater sensitivity but require expensive equipment and trained personnel, impairing its implementation in endemic areas. we developed a diagnostic test that uses isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (rpa) to detect leish ...	2015	26240156
the shadows of a ghost: a survey of canine leishmaniasis in presidente prudente and its spatial dispersion in the western region of são paulo state, an emerging focus of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil.	visceral leishmaniasis is an emerging zoonosis and its geographic distribution is restricted to tropical and temperate regions. most of the individuals infected in latin america are in brazil. despite the control measures that have been adopted, the disease is spreading throughout new regions of the country. domestic dogs are involved in the transmission cycle and are considered to be the main epidemiologic reservoir of leishmania infantum (syn. l. chagasi). our aim was to determine the prevalen ...	2015	26503368
exosome secretion by the parasitic protozoan leishmania within the sand fly midgut.	despite several studies describing the secretion of exosomes by leishmania in vitro, observation of their formation and release in vivo has remained a major challenge. herein, we show that leishmania constitutively secretes exosomes within the lumen of the sand fly midgut through a mechanism homologous to the mammalian pathway. through egestion experiments, we demonstrate that leishmania exosomes are part of the sand fly inoculum and are co-egested with the parasite during the insect's bite, pos ...	2015	26565909
infectiousness of sylvatic and synanthropic small rodents implicates a multi-host reservoir of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis.	the possibility that a multi-host wildlife reservoir is responsible for maintaining transmission of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis causing human cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis is tested by comparative analysis of infection progression and infectiousness to sandflies in rodent host species previously shown to have high natural infection prevalences in both sylvatic or/and peridomestic habitats in close proximity to humans in northeast brazil.	2015	26448187
clocks do not tick in unison: isolation of clock and vrille shed new light on the clockwork model of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis.	behavior rhythms of insect vectors directly interfere with the dynamics of pathogen transmission to humans. the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in america and concentrates its activity around dusk. despite the accumulation of behavioral data, very little is known about the molecular bases of the clock mechanism in this species. this study aims to characterize, within an evolutionary perspective, two important circadian clock genes, clock and vrille.	2015	26438221
correction: lutzomyia longipalpis presence and abundance distribution at different micro-spatial scales in an urban scenario.		2015	26407075
an insight into the sialome of the horse fly, tabanus bromius.	blood feeding animals face their host's defenses against tissue injury and blood loss while attempting to feed. one adaptation to surmount these barriers involves the evolution of a salivary potion that disarms their host's inflammatory and anti-hemostatic processes. the composition of the peptide moiety of this potion, or sialome (from the greek sialo = saliva), can be deducted in part by proper interpretation of the blood feeder' sialotranscriptome. in this work we disclose the sialome of the ...	2015	26369729
laboratory validation of the sand fly fever virus antigen assay.	sandfly fever group viruses in the genus phlebovirus (family bunyaviridae) are widely distributed across the globe and are a cause of disease in military troops and indigenous peoples. we assessed the laboratory sensitivity and specificity of the sand fly fever virus antigen assay, a rapid dipstick assay designed to detect sandfly fever naples virus (sfnv) and toscana virus (tosv) against a panel of phleboviruses. the assay detected sfnv and tosv, as well as other phleboviruses including aguacat ...	2015	26675463
first report of the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in america, lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz, neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae), in southern minas gerais state, brazil.		2015	26611979
performance of light-emitting diode traps for collecting sand flies in entomological surveys in argentina.	the performance of two light-emitting diode traps with white and black light for capturing phlebotomine sand flies, developed by the argentinean leishmaniasis research network (redila-wl and redila-bl traps), were compared with the traditional cdc incandescent light trap. entomological data were obtained from six sand fly surveys conducted in argentina in different environments. data analyses were conducted for the presence and the abundance of lutzomyia longipalpis, migonemyia migonei, and nyss ...	2015	26611973
argentinian phlebotomine fauna, new records of phlebotominae (diptera: psychodidae) for the country and the province of chaco.	sand flies are insects of medical and veterinary importance, because some species are able to transmit several pathogens such as bartonella spp., phlebovirus spp., and protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania (ross). they are widely distributed in the americas, with recordings ranging from canada to argentina. approximately 500 phlebotominae species are known in the americas, of which it is considered that at least 56 are involved in the transmission of leishmaniasis (maroli et al. 2012). pre ...	2016	27470814
occurrence of lutzomyia longipalpis andhuman and canine cases of visceral leishmaniasis and evaluation of their expansion in the northwest region of the state of são paulo, brazil.	introduction this paper aims to describe the dispersion of lutzomyia longipalpis and the autochthonous occurrence of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in the northwest region of the state of são paulo between 2007 and 2013 and to analyze their expansion. methods information about the vector and associated cases was described using maps. the incidence, mortality, and lethality of human visceral leishmaniasis (hvl) were calculated. in municipalities in which more than one hvl case occurred, incidences w ...	2016	27163563
epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus-visceral leishmaniasis-co-infection.	in brazil, the rates of mother-to-child-transmission (mtct) of human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) decreased from 20% to 1-2% in some regions. however, the country contains 90% of individuals infected with visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in latin america, and the west region of são paulo state faces an alarming expansion of the disease. we describe the epidemiological aspects of the expanding infection of vl and a case report of an hiv-vl-co-infected child from the west region of são paulo state. the ...	2016	23834783
comparative analysis of carbohydrate residues in the midgut of phlebotomines (diptera: psychodidae) from colony and field populations from amazon, brazil.	leishmaniasis are worldwide diseases that occur in 98 countries including brazil, transmitted by the bite of female phlebotomines during blood feeding. in brazil it is known that some species of sand flies as lutzomyia longipalpis sensun latum (vector of leishmania infantum chagasi), lutzomyia flaviscutellata (vector of leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis) and lutzomyia antunesi [suspected vector of leishmania (viannia) lindenbergi] are incriminated of transmitting the parasite leishmania for th ...	2016	27264642
prevalence of american trypanosomiasis and leishmaniases in domestic dogs in a rural area of the municipality of são joão do piauí, piauí state, brazil.	chagas disease and the leishmaniases are endemic zoonoses of great importance to public health in the state of piauí, brazil. the domestic dog (canis familiaris) is a major reservoir, host of trypanosoma cruzi and leishmania spp. in both urban and rural areas, playing an important role in the transmission of these parasites. the present study evaluated the prevalence of both infectious diseases in dogs of a rural area in the municipality of são joão do piauí, piauí state. one hundred twenty-nine ...	2016	27828620
leishmania infantum infection in dogs from the southern region of minas gerais state, brazil.	visceral leishmaniasis is a systemic and chronic disease and dogs are the main reservoir of the etiologic agent, leishmania infantum (syn l. chagasi). a serological and molecular investigation of canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) was performed in the municipality of alfenas, located in the southern region of minas gerais, where the disease is not endemic. samples from 87 dogs were submitted to serological tests including the dual path platform (dpp (r) ) cvl bio-manguinhos rapid test, an in-ho ...	2016	27828616
differences in immune responses against leishmania induced by infection and by immunization with killed parasite antigen: implications for vaccine discovery.	the leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by different species of the protozoan genus leishmania and transmitted by sand fly vectors. they are a major public health problem in almost all continents. there is no effective control of leishmaniasis and its geographical distribution is expanding in many countries. great effort has been made by many scientists to develop a vaccine against leishmaniasis, but, so far, there is still no effective vaccine against the disease. the only way to gener ...	2016	27600664
circulating biomarkers of immune activation, oxidative stress and inflammation characterize severe canine visceral leishmaniasis.	clinical manifestations in canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) have not been clearly associated with immunological status or disease progression. we simultaneously assessed biomarkers of inflammation, immune activation, oxidative stress, and anti-sand fly saliva igg concentrations in dog sera with different clinical manifestations to characterize a biosignature associated with cvl severity. in a cross-sectional exploratory study, a random population of 70 dogs from an endemic area in brazil was ...	2016	27595802
crosstalk between purinergic receptors and lipid mediators in leishmaniasis.	leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease affecting millions of people around the world caused by organisms of the genus leishmania. parasite escape mechanisms of the immune system confer the possibility of resistance and dissemination of the disease. a group of molecules that has become a target for leishmania survival strategies are lipid mediators. among them, leukotriene b4 (ltb4) has been described as a pro-inflammatory molecule capable of activating cells of the immune system to combat ...	2016	27595742
impact of lbsapsal vaccine in canine immunological and parasitological features before and after leishmania chagasi-challenge.	dogs represent the most important domestic reservoir of l. chagasi (syn. l. infantum). a vaccine against canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) would be an important tool for decreasing the anxiety related to possible l. chagasi infection and for controlling human visceral leishmaniasis (vl). because the sand fly salivary proteins are potent immunogens obligatorily co-deposited during transmission of leishmania parasites, their inclusion in an anti-leishmania vaccine has been investigated in past d ...	2016	27556586
visceral leishmaniasis in the state of sao paulo, brazil: spatial and space-time analysis.	to perform both space and space-time evaluations of visceral leishmaniasis in humans in the state of sao paulo, brazil.	2016	27533364
two in one: cryptic species discovered in biological control agent populations using molecular data and crossbreeding experiments.	there are many examples of cryptic species that have been identified through dna-barcoding or other genetic techniques. there are, however, very few confirmations of cryptic species being reproductively isolated. this study presents one of the few cases of cryptic species that has been confirmed to be reproductively isolated and therefore true species according to the biological species concept. the cryptic species are of special interest because they were discovered within biological control ag ...	2016	27648231