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reproductive isolation between sympatric and allopatric brazilian populations of lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. (diptera: psychodidae).lutzomyia longipalpis s.l., the main vector of leishmania chagasi in latin america, is a species complex although the exact number of siblings is yet unknown. in brazil, the siblings differ in male copulatory courtship songs and pheromones that most certainly act as pre-zygotic reproductive barriers. here we analysed the reproductive isolation between three allopatric and two sympatric populations of lu. longipalpis s.l. from brazil. the results indicate a strong copulatory and pre-mating isolat ...200818425278
detection of leishmania dna in phlebotomines captured in campo grande, mato grosso do sul, brazil.over the past years, leishmaniases have become a public health issue in the brazilian state of mato grosso do sul, particularly in campo grande, the state capital. the purpose of this study was to detect the presence of leishmania dna in the population of phlebotomine sandflies using dna amplification by pcr. insect captures were carried out from 4 pm. to 7 am for 4 consecutive days each month from october 2005 to september 2006 in 16 neighborhoods located in 7 urban regions of campo grande. tra ...200818456262
reduced tissue parasitic load and infectivity to sand flies in dogs naturally infected by leishmania (leishmania) chagasi following treatment with a liposome formulation of meglumine antimoniate.the toxicity and antileishmanial effectiveness of a novel liposome formulation of meglumine antimoniate in mongrel dogs with visceral leishmaniasis (vl) obtained from a region where vl is endemic in brazil have been investigated. groups of 12 animals received by the intravenous route four doses (with 4-day intervals) of either liposomal meglumine antimoniate (group i [gi], 6.5 mg sb/kg of body weight/dose), empty liposomes (gii), or isotonic saline (giii). evaluation of markers of hematopoietic, ...200818458133
a cysteine protease is critical for babesia spp. transmission in haemaphysalis ticks.vector ticks possess a unique system that enables them to digest large amounts of host blood and to transmit various animal and human pathogens, suggesting the existence of evolutionally acquired proteolytic mechanisms. we report here the molecular and reverse genetic characterization of a multifunctional cysteine protease, longipain, from the babesial parasite vector tick haemaphysalis longicornis. longipain shares structural similarity with papain-family cysteine proteases obtained from invert ...200818483546
molecular evolution of cide family proteins: novel domain formation in early vertebrates and the subsequent divergence.cide family proteins including cidea, cideb and cidec/fsp27, contain an n-terminal cide-n domain that shares sequence similarity to the n-terminal cad domain (ncd) of dna fragmentation factors dffa/dff45/icad and dffb/dff40/cad, and a unique c-terminal cide-c domain. we have previously shown that cide proteins are newly emerged regulators closely associated with the development of metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and liver steatosis. they modulate many metabolic processes such as lip ...200818500987
a real-time pcr assay to estimate leishmania chagasi load in its natural sand fly vector lutzomyia longipalpis.leishmania chagasi, transmitted mainly by lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies, causes visceral leishmaniasis and atypical cutaneous leishmaniasis in latin america. successful vector control depends upon determining vectorial capacity and understanding leishmania transmission by sand flies. as microscopic detection of leishmania in dissected sand fly guts is laborious and time-consuming, highly specific, sensitive, rapid and robust leishmania pcr assays have attracted epidemiologists' attention. rea ...200818501935
[diversity, distribution and abundance of sandflies (diptera: psychodidae) in parana state, southern brazil].due to the spread of visceral leishmaniasis in brazilian territory, this research was undertaken with the objective to identify the sandfly fauna and aspects of the species behavior in forest and anthropic environments in paraná state, brazil. the sandfly captures were sporadically carried out in 37 municipalities of the paraná state, during the period from march 2004 to november 2005. each municipality was once visited, when falcão traps were installed during three consecutive nights in foreste ...200818506303
immunity to a salivary protein of a sand fly vector protects against the fatal outcome of visceral leishmaniasis in a hamster model.visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a fatal disease for humans, and no vaccine is currently available. sand fly salivary proteins have been associated with protection against cutaneous leishmaniasis. to test whether vector salivary proteins can protect against vl, a hamster model was developed involving intradermal inoculation in the ears of 100,000 leishmania infantum chagasi parasites together with lutzomyia longipalpis saliva to mimic natural transmission by sand flies. hamsters developed classica ...200818509051
gene silencing in phlebotomine sand flies: xanthine dehydrogenase knock down by dsrna microinjections.lutzomyia longipalpis are vectors of medically important visceral leishmaniasis in south america. blood-fed adult females digest large amounts of protein, and xanthine dehydrogenase is thought to be a key enzyme involved in protein catabolism through the production of urate. large amounts of heme are also released during digestion with potentially damaging consequences, as heme can generate oxygen radicals that damage lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. however, urate is an antioxidant that may ...200818510977
the sider2 elements, interspersed repeated sequences that populate the leishmania genomes, constitute subfamilies showing chromosomal proximity relationship.protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania are causative agents of a diverse spectrum of human diseases collectively known as leishmaniasis. these eukaryotic pathogens that diverged early from the main eukaryotic lineage possess a number of unusual genomic, molecular and biochemical features. the completion of the genome projects for three leishmania species has generated invaluable information enabling a direct analysis of genome structure and organization.200818518959
lutzomyia longipalpis salivary peptide maxadilan alters murine dendritic cell expression of cd80/86, ccr7, and cytokine secretion and reprograms dendritic cell-mediated cytokine release from cultures containing allogeneic t cells.leishmania protozoan parasites, the etiologic agent of leishmaniasis, are transmitted exclusively by phlebotomine sand flies of the genera phlebotomus and lutzomyia. in addition to parasites, the infectious bite inoculum contains arthropod salivary components. one well-characterized salivary component from lutzomyia longipalpis is maxadilan (max), a vasodilator acting via the type i receptor for the pituitary cyclic amp activating peptide. max has been shown to elicit immunomodulatory effects po ...200818523295
[occurrence of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera, psychodidae) in timóteo, minas gerais state, brazil]. 200818545771
lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. in brazil and the impact of the sao francisco river in the speciation of this sand fly vector.abstract: lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. (diptera: psychodidae) is the principal vector of leishmania infantum chagasi in the americas, and constitutes a complex of species. various studies have suggested an incipient speciation process based on behavioral isolation driven by the chemotype of male sexual pheromones. it is well known that natural barriers, such as mountains and rivers can directly influence population divergence in several organisms, including insects. in this work we investigated th ...200818549496
spread of vector-borne diseases and neglect of leishmaniasis, europe.the risk for reintroduction of some exotic vector-borne diseases in europe has become a hot topic, while the reality of others is neglected at the public health policy level. leishmaniasis is endemic in all southern countries of europe, with approximately 700 autochthonous human cases reported each year (3,950 if turkey is included). asymptomatic cases have been estimated at 30-100/1 symptomatic case, and leishmaniasis has up to 25% seroprevalence in domestic dogs. even though leishmaniasis is e ...200818598618
blood meal identification and parasite detection in laboratory-fed and field-captured lutzomyia longipalpis by pcr using fta databasing paper.the phlebotomine sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis takes blood from a variety of wild and domestic animals and transmits leishmania (leishmania) infantum chagasi, etiological agent of american visceral leishmaniasis. blood meal identification in sand flies has depended largely on serological methods but a new protocol described here uses filter-based technology to stabilise and store blood meal dna, allowing subsequent pcr identification of blood meal sources, as well as parasite detection, in bloo ...200818606150
observations on the feeding habits of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) in campo grande, an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis in mato grosso do sul, brazil.sand flies were captured weekly with cdc light traps from december 2003 to november 2005 in three areas of campo grande, in the brazilian state of mato grosso do sul. these areas incorporated two patches of remnant forest and five houses. the blood meals of engorged female sand flies were identified using the avidin-biotin system of immunoenzymatic elisa capture. most (327/355) of the females analysed were lutzomyia longipalpis, of which 66.4% reacted with human blood, 64.8% with that of birds a ...200818611387
leishmania sand fly interaction: progress and challenges.complex interactions occurs between leishmania parasites and their sand fly vectors. promastigotes of leishmania live exclusively within the gut, possess flagella and are motile, and kinesins, kinases and g proteins have been described that play a role in regulating flagellar assembly. movement within the gut is not random: promastigotes can detect gradients of solutes via chemotaxis and osmotaxis. further they use their flagella to attach to the fly midgut using surface glyconconjugates, a key ...200818625337
quantification of the infectious dose of leishmania major transmitted to the skin by single sand flies.leishmaniasis is transmitted between mammalian hosts by the bites of bloodsucking vector sand flies. the dose of parasites transmitted to the mammalian host has never been directly determined. we developed a real-time pcr-based method to determine the number of leishmania major parasites inoculated into the ears of living mice during feeding by individual infected flies (phlebotomus duboscqi). the number of parasites transmitted varied over a wide range in the 58 ears in which leishmania were de ...200818626016
antagonistic pleiotropy involving promoter sequences in a virus.selection of specialist genotypes, that is, populations with limited niche width, promotes the maintenance of diversity. specialization to a particular environment may have a cost in other environments, including fitness tradeoffs. when the tradeoffs are the result of mutations that have a beneficial effect in the selective environment but a deleterious effect in other environments, we have antagonistic pleiotropy. alternatively, tradeoffs can result from the fixation of mutations that are neutr ...200818644381
are light traps baited with kairomones effective in the capture of lutzomyia longipalpis and lutzomyia intermedia? an evaluation of synthetic human odor as an attractant for phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).phlebotomine sand flies are often captured with human bait and/or light traps, either with or without an animal bait. more recently, synthetic attractants have been used as bait in traps to improve the capture of phlebotomine sand flies as well as other insects of medical and veterinary importance. the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the kairomone 1-octen-3-ol (octenol) and the synthetic human odor bg-mesh lure (bgml--lactic acid, caproic acid and ammonia) baited in modif ...200818660986
non-specific antiviral response detected in rna-treated cultured cells of the sandfly, lutzomyia longipalpis.lutzomyia longipalpis is the principal vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the americas, and can also transmit some viruses. to help develop a gene-silencing system for this sandfly, we transfected cultured embryonic cells with various double-stranded rnas using west nile virus (wnv) virus-like particles (vlps) expressing luciferase as the target rna to demonstrate effective gene knock-down. when luciferase dsrna was introduced into these cells, they produced the expected reduction in vlp-encode ...200817706772
variability and action mechanism of a family of anticomplement proteins in ixodes ricinus.ticks are blood feeding arachnids that characteristically take a long blood meal. they must therefore counteract host defence mechanisms such as hemostasis, inflammation and the immune response. this is achieved by expressing batteries of salivary proteins coded by multigene families.200818167559
the midgut transcriptome of lutzomyia longipalpis: comparative analysis of cdna libraries from sugar-fed, blood-fed, post-digested and leishmania infantum chagasi-infected sand flies.in the life cycle of leishmania within the alimentary canal of sand flies the parasites have to survive the hostile environment of blood meal digestion, escape the blood bolus and attach to the midgut epithelium before differentiating into the infective metacyclic stages. the molecular interactions between the leishmania parasites and the gut of the sand fly are poorly understood. in the present work we sequenced five cdna libraries constructed from midgut tissue from the sand fly lutzomyia long ...200818194529
identity and transfer of male reproductive gland proteins of the dengue vector mosquito, aedes aegypti: potential tools for control of female feeding and reproduction.male reproductive gland proteins (mrgps) impact the physiology and/or behavior of mated females in a broad range of organisms. we sought to identify mrgps of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, the primary vector of dengue and yellow fever viruses. earlier studies with ae. aegypti demonstrated that "matrone" (a partially purified male reproductive accessory gland substance) or male accessory gland fluid injected into virgin female ae. aegypti affect female sexual refractoriness, blood feed ...200818207079
apy-1, a novel caenorhabditis elegans apyrase involved in unfolded protein response signalling and stress responses.protein glycosylation modulates a wide variety of intracellular events and dysfunction of the glycosylation pathway has been reported in a variety of human pathologies. endo-apyrases have been suggested to have critical roles in protein glycosylation and sugar metabolism. however, deciphering the physiological relevance of endo-apyrases activity has actually proved difficult, owing to their complexity and the functional redundancy within the family. we report here that a udp/gdpase, homologous t ...200818216284
engineered human soluble calcium-activated nucleotidase inhibits coagulation in vitro and thrombosis in vivo.human soluble calcium-activated nucleotidase (human scan) is a homologue of the salivary anti-coagulant apyrases injected by insects into their hosts to allow blood feeding. however, the human enzyme, unlike its insect counterparts, does not efficiently hydrolyze the platelet agonist, adp. by site-directed mutagenesis, two mutant human scans were constructed and expressed in bacteria. following refolding from inclusion bodies and purification, these enzymes were assessed for anti-coagulant and a ...200818222531
molecular homogeneity in diverse geographical populations of phlebotomus papatasi (diptera, psychodidae) inferred from nd4 mtdna and its2 rdna epidemiological consequences.an intraspecific study on phlebotomus papatasi, the main proven vector of leishmania major among the members of the subgenus phlebotomus, was performed. the internal transcribed spacer 2 (its 2) of rdna and the nd4 gene of mt dna were sequenced from 26 populations from 18 countries (albania, algeria, cyprus, egypt, greece, india, iran, israel, italy, lebanon, morocco, saudi arabia, spain, syria, tunisia, turkey, yugoslavia and yemen), and compared. samples also included three other species belon ...200818243814
seasonal variation of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) in endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis, campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul, brazil.the seasonal distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis was studied in two forested and five domiciliary areas of the urban area of campo grande; ms, from december 2003 to november 2005. weekly captures were carried out with cdc light traps positioned on ground and in the canopy inside a residual forest and on the edge (ground) of a woodland and in at least one of the following ecotopes in peridomiciles-a cultivated area, a chicken coop, a pigsty, a kennel, a goat and sheep shelter and an intradomici ...200818022137
the lutzomyia longipalpis species complex: does population sub-structure matter to leishmania transmission?leishmania chagasi causes visceral leishmaniasis and, to a lesser extent, atypical cutaneous leishmaniasis in central and south america. its main sand fly vector, lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. (diptera: psychodidae) displays a complex population structure that might contribute to the observed clinical pleomorphism and to recent major urban epidemics. this article summarises our understanding on reproductive barriers and hybridisation among this vector's sibling incipient species. identifying genes ...200818023260
kinetics of canine antibody response to saliva of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis.zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (vl) caused by leishmania infantum is transmitted from dogs to humans by sand flies and lutzomyia longipalpis is a major vector of this disease. we studied the antibody response in dogs experimentally exposed to l. longipalpis females to characterize sand fly salivary antigens recognized by canine sera and to find out whether the level of specific anti-saliva antibodies reflects the intensity of exposure. sera from repeatedly bitten dogs revealed up to six salivar ...200818260789
canine vector-borne diseases in brazil.abstract: canine vector-borne diseases (cvbds) are highly prevalent in brazil and represent a challenge to veterinarians and public health workers, since some diseases are of great zoonotic potential. dogs are affected by many protozoa (e.g., babesia vogeli, leishmania infantum, and trypanosoma cruzi), bacteria (e.g., anaplasma platys and ehrlichia canis), and helminths (e.g., dirofilaria immitis and dipylidium caninum) that are transmitted by a diverse range of arthropod vectors, including tick ...200818691408
establishment of a large semi-field system for experimental study of african malaria vector ecology and control in tanzania.medical entomologists increasingly recognize that the ability to make inferences between laboratory experiments of vector biology and epidemiological trends observed in the field is hindered by a conceptual and methodological gap occurring between these approaches which prevents hypothesis-driven empirical research from being conducted on relatively large and environmentally realistic scales. the development of semi-field systems (sfs) has been proposed as the best mechanism for bridging this ga ...200818715508
[first finding of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) in the urban area of uberlândia, mg, concomitant with the first reported autochthonous case of human visceral leishmaniasis].the first occurrence of the vector for visceral leishmaniasis, lutzomyia longipalpis, in the urban area of uberlândia, state of minas gerais, and the first autochthonous case of human visceral leishmaniasis recorded in the same locality are reported. these were notified to the zoonosis control center, through the epidemiological surveillance sector of the municipal health department. the importance of these findings regarding transmission of the disease in this area is discussed.200818719814
the physiology of the midgut of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva 1912): ph in different physiological conditions and mechanisms involved in its control.nutrient digestion and absorption after blood feeding are important events for lutzomyia longipalpis, which uses these nutrients to produce eggs. in this context, the ph inside the digestive tract is an important physiological feature as it can markedly influence the digestive process as well as interfere with leishmania development in infected phlebotomines. it was described previously that unfed females have an acidic midgut (ph 6). in this study, the ph inside the midgut of blood-fed females ...200818723537
sandfly pheromones. their biology and potential for use in control programs.lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) is the vector of leishmania chagasi the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in south and central america, particularly brazil, where the greatest incidence occurs. the disease is fatal if untreated. although huge efforts have been made to control vl the incidence is increasing. vector control remains an important element of disease control but residual spraying and other strategies have failed to make any lasting impact. manipulation of san ...200818814690
analysis of the activity patterns of two sympatric sandfly siblings of the lutzomyia longipalpis species complex from brazil.lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. (lutz & neiva) (diptera: psychodidae) is the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in latin america. differences in copulation songs, pheromones and molecular markers show that l. longipalpis is a species complex in brazil. the patterns of activity of insect vectors are important in disease transmission. in addition, differences in activity rhythms have a potential role as a temporal reproductive isolation mechanism in closely related species. we compared the activity ...200818816278
hyaluronidase of bloodsucking insects and its enhancing effect on leishmania infection in mice.salivary hyaluronidases have been described in a few bloodsucking arthropods. however, very little is known about the presence of this enzyme in various bloodsucking insects and no data are available on its effect on transmitted microorganisms. here, we studied hyaluronidase activity in thirteen bloodsucking insects belonging to four different orders. in addition, we assessed the effect of hyaluronidase coinoculation on the outcome of leishmania major infection in balb/c mice.200818820742
[feeding preference of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) in transmission area of visceral leishmaniasis in mato grosso].studies on the feeding habits and intestinal content of sandflies make it possible to identify hosts, thereby indicating potential reservoirs for leishmania. the present study had the aim of determining the feeding preferences of lutzomyia longipalpis and its relationship with the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis. specimens were caught every month in a transmission area of visceral leishmaniasis, in the municipality of várzea grande, state of mato grosso, from january 2004 to june 2006, us ...200818853008
complexities of assessing the disease burden attributable to leishmaniasis.among parasitic diseases, morbidity and mortality caused by leishmaniasis are surpassed only by malaria and lymphatic filariasis. however, estimation of the leishmaniasis disease burden is challenging, due to clinical and epidemiological diversity, marked geographic clustering, and lack of reliable data on incidence, duration, and impact of the various disease syndromes. non-health effects such as impoverishment, disfigurement, and stigma add to the burden, and introduce further complexities. le ...200818958165
transmission potential, skin inflammatory response, and parasitism of symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs with visceral leishmaniasis.visceral leishmaniasis in brazil is caused by the protozoan leishmania (leishmania) chagasi and it is transmitted by sandfly of the genus lutzomyia. dogs are an important domestic reservoir, and control of the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) to humans includes the elimination of infected dogs. however, though dogs are considered to be an important element in the transmission cycle of leishmania, the identification of infected dogs representing an immediate risk for transmission has n ...200818990238
exploring the mialome of ticks: an annotated catalogue of midgut transcripts from the hard tick, dermacentor variabilis (acari: ixodidae).ticks are obligate blood feeders. the midgut is the first major region of the body where blood and microbes ingested with the blood meal come in contact with the tick's internal tissues. little is known about protein expression in the digestive tract of ticks. in this study, for analysis of global gene expression during tick attachment and feeding, we generated and sequenced 1,679 random transcripts (ests) from cdna libraries from the midguts of female ticks at varying stages of feeding.200819021911
[seroprevalence, clinical and biochemical data of dogs naturally infected by leishmania and phlebotominae sandfly fauna in an endemic area in são luis island, maranhão state, brazil].the aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence, clinical and biochemical profile of leishmania chagasi infection in dogs naturally infected and identify the phlebotominae fauna in an endemic area of são luis island. in this present study, 62 household mongrel dogs were sampled for antibodies anti-leishmania. the seroprevalence was 51.61%. in the clinical evaluation, 36.68% dogs were symptomatic, 38.41% were oligosymptomatic and 26.13% were asymptomatic. the most frequent signs were on ...200820059848
enhanced leishmania braziliensis infection following pre-exposure to sandfly saliva.sand fly saliva has an array of pharmacological and immunomodulatory components, and immunity to saliva protects against leishmania infection. in the present study, we have studied the immune response against lutzomyia intermedia saliva, the main vector of leishmania braziliensis in brazil, and the effects of saliva pre-exposure on l. braziliensis infection employing an intradermal experimental model.200718060088
vertical stratification and development aspects of phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in an area of atlantic forest tree species in a metropolitan region in northeastern brazil.in the state of rio grande do norte in northeast brazil, cases of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) occur mainly in the periurban areas of the city of natal. lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva 1912 (diptera: psychodidae), a vector of leishmania chagasi (protozoa: trypanosomatidae) to humans, is found throughout the state. flora and fauna influence the distribution of sand fly species, whose horizontal or vertical stratification can be used as a parameter for identifying potential vectors, considering ...200718260526
phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in the municipality of várzea grande: an area of transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of mato grosso, brazil.visceral leishmaniasis (vl) has been naturally transmitted in periurban areas due to the emergence and reemergence of its vectors in such areas. aimed to further knowledge on ecological aspects affecting the occurrence of phlebotomine sand flies in vl transmission areas in the municipality of várzea grande, state of mato grosso (mt), brazil, sand fly captures were carried out. monthly collections of sand flies were undertaken with cdc light-traps, which were left in both intradomiciliary and per ...200718209928
dna vaccines against protozoan parasites: advances and challenges.over the past 15 years, dna vaccines have gone from a scientific curiosity to one of the most dynamic research field and may offer new alternatives for the control of parasitic diseases such as leishmaniasis and chagas disease. we review here some of the advances and challenges for the development of dna vaccines against these diseases. many studies have validated the concept of using dna vaccines for both protection and therapy against these protozoan parasites in a variety of mouse models. the ...200717710244
phlebotomine fauna (diptera: psychodidae) and species abundance in an endemic area of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeastern minas gerais, brazil.this study was undertaken to identify the phlebotomine fauna and species abundance in domiciliary and peridomiciliary (hen-house and guava-tree) environments, on a lake shore, a cultivated area of coffee and banana, and a forested area of conceição da aparecida municipality, southeastern the state of minas gerais, to provide information for the control and epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis in this area. the captures were carried out monthly between may 2001 and november 2002, with au ...200717710302
exploring the midgut transcriptome of phlebotomus papatasi: comparative analysis of expression profiles of sugar-fed, blood-fed and leishmania-major-infected sandflies.in sandflies, the blood meal is responsible for the induction of several physiologic processes that culminate in egg development and maturation. during blood feeding, infected sandflies are also able to transmit the parasite leishmania to a suitable host. many blood-induced molecules play significant roles during leishmania development in the sandfly midgut, including parasite killing within the endoperitrophic space. in this work, we randomly sequenced transcripts from three distinct high quali ...200717760985
serological survey of leishmania infantum and trypanosoma cruzi in dogs from urban areas of brazil and colombia.leishmania infantum and trypanosoma cruzi are zoonotic parasites that are endemic throughout many parts of latin america. infected dogs play an important role in transmission of both parasites to humans. a serological survey of leishmania and trypanosoma infection was conducted on 365 dogs from são paulo, brazil and bogatá, colombia, south america. serum samples were examined by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (ifat). anti-leishmania igg antibodies were detected in 5 of 107 from bra ...200717825991
[behavior of lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector of american visceral leishmaniasis, in campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul].the municipality of campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul, brazil, has presented cases of canine and human visceral leishmaniasis since 2002, and is classified as an area of intense transmission. this study was carried out from may 2003 to april 2005, in partnership with the national health foundation and the state health department, with the objective of determining the behavior and seasonality of the species lutzomyia longipalpis. captures were accomplished using luminous traps of cdc type ...200717876464
constitutive and blood meal-induced trypsin genes in lutzomyia longipalpis.trypsins constitute some of the most abundant midgut digestive proteases expressed by hematophagous insects upon blood feeding. in addition to their role in the digestion of the blood meal, these proteases also have been implicated in the ability of certain pathogens to infect their natural vector. in sand flies, digestive proteases including trypsins were associated with early killing of leishmania and are believed to play a role in the species-specificity dictating sand fly vectorial capacity. ...200717879236
host odor synergizes attraction of virgin female lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva (diptera: psychodidae) is the principle vector of leishmania chagasi/infantum cunha and chagas, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis. the disease is transmitted by blood-feeding females, which seek aggregations of males above potential hosts both to mate and blood-feed. pheromones produced by male sand flies could potentially be used as lures in l. longipalpis control programs. we investigated whether attraction of male and female sand fli ...200717915508
human anti-saliva immune response following experimental exposure to the visceral leishmaniasis vector, lutzomyia longipalpis.experiments in animals verified that phlebotomine saliva enhances leishmania infection, and vaccination with saliva prevents disease. we have shown that individuals from an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis displayed robust antibody responses to saliva from the vector lutzomyia longipalpis, which correlated with anti-parasite cell-mediated immunity. here, we explored human anti-saliva responses following exposure to sand flies, using an in vivo bite model in which normal volunteers were exp ...200717935072
efficacy of eleven antimicrobials against a gregarine parasite (apicomplexa: protozoa).the apicomplexa are a diverse group of obligate protozoan parasites infesting a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts including humans. these parasites are notoriously difficult to control and many species continue to evolve resistance to commercial antibiotics. in this study, we sought to find an effective chemotherapeutic treatment against arthropod gregarines (apicomplexa), and to identify candidate compounds for testing against other groups of protozoan parasites.200717997852
prior exposure to uninfected mosquitoes enhances mortality in naturally-transmitted west nile virus infection.the global emergence of west nile virus (wnv) has highlighted the importance of mosquito-borne viruses. these are inoculated in vector saliva into the vertebrate skin and circulatory system. arthropod-borne (arbo)viruses such as wnv are transmitted to vertebrates as an infectious mosquito probes the skin for blood, depositing the virus and saliva into the skin and circulation. growing evidence has demonstrated that arthropod, and recently mosquito, saliva can have a profound effect on pathogen t ...200718000543
lutzomyia longipalpis in brazil: a complex or a single species? a mini-review.lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of leishmania infantum chagasi, the causative agent of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl). although there is strong evidence that lu. longipalpis is a species complex, not all data concerning populations from brazil support this hypothesis. the issue is still somewhat controversial for this large part of lu. longipalpis distribution range even though that it is the latin american region contributing to most of the cases of avl. in this mini-review we c ...200717293992
identification and characterization of a salivary adenosine deaminase from the sand fly phlebotomus duboscqi, the vector of leishmania major in sub-saharan africa.two transcripts coding for an adenosine deaminase (ada) were identified by sequencing a phlebotomus duboscqi salivary gland cdna library. adenosine deaminase was previously reported in the saliva of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis but it was not present in the saliva of the sand flies phlebotomus papatasi, p. argentipes, p. perniciosus and p. ariasi, suggesting that this enzyme is only present in the saliva of sand flies from the genus lutzomyia. in the present work, we tested the hypothesis ...200717297134
a lipophosphoglycan-independent development of leishmania in permissive sand flies.leishmaniases are serious parasitic diseases the etiological organisms of which are transmitted by insect vectors, phlebotominae sand flies. two sand fly species, phlebotomus papatasi and p. sergenti, display remarkable specificity for leishmania parasites they transmit in nature, but many others are broadly permissive to the development of different leishmania species. previous studies have suggested that in 'specific' vectors the successful parasite development is mediated by parasite surface ...200717307009
comparative evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays based on crude and recombinant leishmanial antigens for serodiagnosis of symptomatic and asymptomatic leishmania infantum visceral infections in dogs.the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis remains difficult in rural areas where the disease is endemic, and serologic methods still need assessment, as they are not very sensitive for the detection of asymptomatic infectious dogs. here we present data on the development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa)-based methods for the detection of antibodies against recombinant leishmanial antigens (namely, the recombinant k26 [rk26] and rk39 antigens from leishmania infantum and the ra2 protein ...200717314229
protection against mycobacterium ulcerans lesion development by exposure to aquatic insect saliva.buruli ulcer is a severe human skin disease caused by mycobacterium ulcerans. this disease is primarily diagnosed in west africa with increasing incidence. antimycobacterial drug therapy is relatively effective during the preulcerative stage of the disease, but surgical excision of lesions with skin grafting is often the ultimate treatment. the mode of transmission of this mycobacterium species remains a matter of debate, and relevant interventions to prevent this disease lack (i) the proper und ...200717326707
immunomodulatory effects of the lutzomyia longipalpis salivary gland protein maxadilan on mouse macrophages.infection with leishmania major is enhanced when the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis salivary peptide maxadilan (max) is injected along with the parasite. here we determined the effect that max has on the secretion of cytokines and nitric oxide (no) and on parasite survival in macrophages (mphis). the cytokines produced by mphis can enhance a type 1 response, which will increase no and the killing of intracellular pathogens such as l. major, or a type 2 response, leading to antibody production th ...200717339357
multilevel modelling of the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis in teresina, brazil.epidemics of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in major brazilian cities are new phenomena since 1980. as determinants of transmission in urban settings probably operate at different geographic scales, and information is not available for each scale, a multilevel approach was used to examine the effect of canine infection and environmental and socio-economic factors on the spatial variability of incidence rates of vl in the city of teresina. details on an outbreak of greater than 1200 cases of vl in t ...200716824254
antibodies from dogs with canine visceral leishmaniasis recognise two proteins from the saliva of lutzomyia longipalpis.the saliva of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis, a major vector of leishmania, exhibits pharmacological and immunomodulatory activities that may facilitate entry and establishment of parasites into the vertebrate host. salivary gland components of the sand fly are, therefore, potential candidates in the development of a vaccine against human leishmaniasis. with the objective of identifying sand fly saliva proteins that could be used to immunise animals against canine visceral leishmaniasis, we ...200717058112
antibodies against lutzomyia longipalpis saliva in the fox cerdocyon thous and the sylvatic cycle of leishmania chagasi.sera of 11 wild cerdocyon thous foxes from an endemic area for american visceral leishmaniasis were tested for the presence of antibodies against salivary gland homogenates (sgh) of lutzomyia longipalpis. all foxes had higher levels of anti-lu. longipalpis sgh antibodies than foxes from non-endemic areas, suggesting contact between foxes and the vector of visceral leishmaniasis. sera of humans and dogs living in the same area were also tested for reactivity against lu. longipalpis sghs and had a ...200716887159
immunogenicity of the p-8 amastigote antigen in the experimental model of canine visceral leishmaniasis.the p-8 proteoglycolipid complex (p-8 pglc), an amastigote antigen of leishmania pifanoi, has been demonstrated to induce protection in mouse models, as well as to induce tc1/th1-like cellular responses in american cutaneous leishmaniasis patients. because the immunization with p-8 pglc in the murine model does not appear to be genetically restricted, we have studied the reactivity of the p-8 pglc in leishmania infantum infected dogs. in this study, it is shown that pbmc from experimentally infe ...200717178178
sand flies and leishmania: specific versus permissive vectors. 200717207663
canine visceral leishmaniasis: relationships between clinical status, humoral immune response, haematology and lutzomyia (lutzomyia) longipalpis infectivity.the main source of leishmania infantum infection in humans is a naturally infected dog. this study reports on the infectivity to phlebotomine sandflies (lutzomyia longipalpis) of serologically positive mongrel dogs that differed in clinical status, haematology and humoral responses to immunoglobulin (ig) g(t) (total anti-leishmania igg), igg(1) and igg(2) subclasses of antibody to crude antigen of l. infantum. forty-five female l. longipalpis were allowed to feed directly on the ears of dogs cla ...200717229582
effect of lutzomyia longipalpis salivary gland extracts on leukocyte migration induced by leishmania major.the mechanism by which the salivary gland lysate (sgl) of lutzomyia longipalpis enables leishmania infection remains under investigation. one possibility is that saliva promotes cellular recruitment leading to development of skin lesions. in this study, we investigated leukocyte recruitment induced by l. major, l. major + sgl, or sgl alone into the peritoneal cavity of balb/c mice. the administration of l. major with or without sgl induced neutrophil migration six hours after infection. interest ...200717255235
increased transmission potential of leishmania major/leishmania infantum hybrids.development of leishmania infantum/leishmania major hybrids was studied in two sand fly species. in phlebotomus papatasi, which supported development of l. major but not l. infantum, the hybrids produced heavy late-stage infections with high numbers of metacyclic promastigotes. in the permissive vector lutzomyia longipalpis, all leishmania strains included in this study developed well. hybrids were found to express l. major lipophosphoglycan, apparently enabling them to survive in p. papatasi mi ...200717376453
[canine visceral leishmaniasis in northeast brazil: epidemiological aspects].in a rural area of northeast brazil, the relatively high serological infection by leishmania in dogs, the lack of classical vector lutzomyia longipalpis and of american visceral leishmaniasis cases in human beings and the observation of leishmania in ticks collected in infected dogs suggest that ticks may be responsible for the transmission between dogs.200717402696
emergence of mammalian cell-adapted vesicular stomatitis virus from persistent infections of insect vector cells.arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) represent quintessential generalists, with the ability to infect and perform well in multiple hosts. however, antagonistic pleiotropy imposed a cost during the adaptation to persistent replication of vesicular stomatitis virus in sand fly cells and resulted in strains that initially replicated poorly in hamster cells, even when the virus was allowed to replicate periodically in the latter. once a debilitated strain started replicating continuously in mammali ...200717428845
an insight into the sialome of the oriental rat flea, xenopsylla cheopis (rots).the salivary glands of hematophagous animals contain a complex cocktail that interferes with the host hemostasis and inflammation pathways, thus increasing feeding success. fleas represent a relatively recent group of insects that evolved hematophagy independently of other insect orders.200717437641
infectivity of seropositive dogs, showing different clinical forms of leishmaniasis, to lutzomyia longipalpis phlebotomine sand flies.visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a growing zoonosis with an increasing number of new cases and a rapid geographical spreading of the disease. in the present study, a canine survey was carried out in the city of montes claros (320,000 inhabitants), an endemic area of american visceral leishmaniasis in the state of minas gerais, brazil. a total number of 4795 dogs were examined by serology, which showed a rate of seropositivity of 5%. isoenzymatic analysis confirmed leishmania infantum chagasi as th ...200717449184
phlebotomine sandfly species from an american visceral leishmaniasis area in the northern rainforest region of pernambuco state, brazil.the aim of this study was to identify the fauna of phlebotomine sandflies in an area with incidence of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) in são vicente férrer, a municipality (county) located in the northern zona da mata in pernambuco state, brazil. sandfly captures were conducted monthly for four nights/month from december 2002 to november 2003, by means of manual captures (with a shannon trap) and by cdc light traps. a total of 23,156 specimens of phlebotomines sandflies were collected in ...200717486244
[the spread of the visceral leishmaniasis epidemic in the state of mato grosso, 1998-2005].an epidemic of visceral leishmaniasis began in 1998, in the metropolitan region of cuiabá, the capital of the state of mato grosso, brazil. today, it has reached 34 (24.1%) of the 141 municipalities in the state. between january 1998 and december 2005, 138 autochthonous cases were notified, mainly in males (58%), children aged 0-9 years (51.5%) and inhabitants of urban areas (66.7%). canine visceral leishmaniasis has been detected in 41 municipalities, with positive serum in 9% of the 40,000 dog ...200717486252
[sandflies (diptera: psychodidae) in an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of minas gerais].between january and december 2000, systematic monthly capture of phlebotomine sandflies was undertaken by means of light traps of cdc type in brejo do mutambal, an endemic area for american cutaneous leishmaniasis located in the municipality of varzelândia, state of minas gerais. nineteen phlebotomine species were captured, totaling 6,756 specimens. the species correlated with acl transmission were captured in low numbers, as follows: lutzomyia intermedia (5.1%), l. migonei (0.4%) and l. whitman ...200717486253
natural infection of phlebotomines (diptera: psychodidae) in a visceral-leishmaniasis focus in mato grosso do sul, brazil.the main purpose of this study was to investigate natural infection by leishmania in phlebotomine females in a visceral-leishmaniasis focus in antonio joão county in mato grosso do sul state, brazil. between june and october 2003, the digestive tracts of 81 females captured in aldeia campestre, aldeia marangatu and povoado campestre were dissected. the females were separated by species, location, area and date of capture into 13 groups and kept in ethanol 70%. to identify the leishmania species ...200717505673
transmission of leishmania metacyclic promastigotes by phlebotomine sand flies.a thorough understanding of the transmission mechanism of any infectious agent is crucial to implementing an effective intervention strategy. here, our current understanding of the mechanisms that leishmania parasites use to ensure their transmission from sand fly vectors by bite is reviewed. the most important mechanism is the creation of a "blocked fly" resulting from the secretion of promastigote secretory gel (psg) by the parasites in the anterior midgut. this forces the sand fly to regurgit ...200717517415
in vitro binding and survival assays of leishmania parasites to peripherical blood monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages isolated from dogs naturally and experimentally infected with leishmania (leishmania) chagasi.there are a few works considering the characterization of canine monocyte-derived macrophages as well as a standardized procedure for isolation, culture, and infection of these cells with leishmania. we have performed several modifications in order to improve the canine monocyte-derived macrophage cultures. in addition, we have done a comparative study between monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages from dogs naturally and experimentally infected with l. chagasi.200717537246
deltamethrin-impregnated bednets reduce human landing rates of sandfly vector lutzomyia longipalpis in amazon households.the entomological efficacy of using 25% deltamethrin ec insecticide-treated bednets (itns) was evaluated against the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis lutz and neiva (diptera: psychodidae), the principal vector of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (zvl) in latin america. a crossover field study in amazon brazil (marajó island, pará state) demonstrated that, compared with untreated nets, the insecticide increased the barrier effect of nets by 39% (95% confidence interval [ci] 34-44%), reduced human lan ...200717550436
[natural infection of lutzomyia longipalpis by leishmania sp. in teresina, piauí state, brazil].in brazil, control of the vector lutzomyia longipalpis is one of the main strategies used to limit the expansion of american visceral leishmaniasis. however, studies on the ecology of this sand fly are rare, especially regarding its natural infection with species of leishmania. a study of the natural infection of lu. longipalpis by leishmania sp. was carried out in the bela vista neighborhood in the city of teresina, piauí state, brazil, an important area of american visceral leishmaniasis trans ...200717572822
leishmania manipulation of sand fly feeding behavior results in enhanced transmission.in nature the prevalence of leishmania infection in whole sand fly populations can be very low (<0.1%), even in areas of endemicity and high transmission. it has long since been assumed that the protozoan parasite leishmania can manipulate the feeding behavior of its sand fly vector, thus enhancing transmission efficiency, but neither the way in which it does so nor the mechanisms behind such manipulation have been described. a key feature of parasite development in the sand fly gut is the secre ...200717604451
cloning and characterization of a v-atpase subunit c from the american visceral leishmaniasis vector lutzomyia longipalpis modulated during development and blood ingestion.visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a serious tropical disease that affects approximately 500 thousand people worldwide every year. in the americas, vl is caused by the parasite leishmania (leishmania) infantum chagasi mainly transmitted by the bite of the sand fly vector lutzomyia longipalpis. despite recent advances in the study of interaction between leishmania and sand flies, very little is known about sand fly protein expression profiles. understanding how the expression of proteins may be affec ...200717607496
midgut ph profile and protein digestion in the larvae of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis is the vector of leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of american visceral leishmaniasis. despite its importance, until now the internal anatomy of the immature forms has never been described and little is known about their digestive processes. in nature, sand fly larvae feed on organic detritus in the soil, constantly ingesting large amounts of material. the objective of this study was to describe the anatomy of the gut and the ph of the gut lumen, as we ...200717659300
structural characterization of acetylcholinesterase 1 from the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).acetylcholinesterase (ache) plays a key role in cholinergic impulse transmission, and it is the target enzyme for organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides. two genes, acei and aceii, have been characterized from different insect species, and point mutations in either gene can lead to significant resistance to these classes of insecticides. in this report, we describe the partial characterization of the acei gene from lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva) (diptera: psychodidae), and we show tha ...200717695019
the odor of origin: kinship and geographical distance are reflected in the marking pheromone of male beewolves (philanthus triangulum f., hymenoptera, crabronidae).pheromones play an important role for mate finding and courtship in many insects. in species where males are the signaling sex, females are expected to choose among potential mates with regard to the emitter's quality and/or genetic compatibility. one important aspect is the balance between negative and positive effects of in- vs. outbreeding. in the present study, we aimed to assess the potential of the territory marking pheromone of european beewolves as an indicator for genetic compatibility ...200717927833
evolution of female preference for younger males.previous theoretical work has suggested that females should prefer to mate with older males, as older males should have higher fitness than the average fitness of the cohort into which they were born. however, studies in humans and model organisms have shown that as males age, they accumulate deleterious mutations in their germ-line at an ever-increasing rate, thereby reducing the quality of genes passed on to the next generation. thus, older males may produce relatively poor-quality offspring. ...200717895980
maxadilan, a pac1 receptor agonist from sand flies.in 1991, a potent 61 amino acid vasodilator peptide, named maxadilan, was isolated from the salivary glands of the sand fly. subsequently, it was shown that this peptide specifically and potently activated the mammalian pac1 receptor, one of the three receptors for pacap. these studies and the link between maxadilan and leishmaniasis are discussed.200717681401
the biogeography and population genetics of neotropical vector species.phylogenetic and population genetic data support the pliocene or pleistocene divergences of the co-distributed hematophagous insect vectors, the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis s.l., the mosquitoes anopheles darlingi and a. albitarsis s.l., and the triatomines rhodnius prolixus and r. robustus. we examined patterns of divergence and distribution in relation to three hypotheses of neotropical diversification: miocene/pliocene marine incursion, pliocene/pleistocene riverine barriers and pleistocene ...200717534382
courtship behaviour in the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis, the new world vector of visceral leishmaniasis.courtship behaviour in lutzomyia longipalpis lutz and neiva (diptera: psychodidae) was examined to determine the sequence of behaviours that occur prior to copulation. courtship consisted of a series of male and female touching and wing-flapping behaviours, with males performing a greater variety of wing-flapping behaviours than previously described. occurrence of male approach-flapping, semi-circling and female stationary-flapping were all predictors of eventual copulation, and may coincide wit ...200718092971
an annotated catalogue of salivary gland transcripts in the adult female mosquito, aedes aegypti.saliva of blood-sucking arthropods contains a cocktail of antihemostatic agents and immunomodulators that help blood feeding. mosquitoes additionally feed on sugar meals and have specialized regions of their glands containing glycosidases and antimicrobials that might help control bacterial growth in the ingested meals. to expand our knowledge on the salivary cocktail of aedes aegypti, a vector of dengue and yellow fevers, we analyzed a set of 4,232 expressed sequence tags from cdna libraries of ...200717204158
the calcium activated nucleotidases: a diverse family of soluble and membrane associated nucleotide hydrolyzing enzymes.it has long been known that the salivary glands of hematophagous (blood-feeding) arthropods secrete soluble apyrases, which are potent nucleotide hydrolyzing enzymes capable of hydrolyzing extracellular atp and adp, the latter being a major agonist contributing to platelet aggregation. only recently, however, has the identification of proteins homologous to these apyrases been reported in non-blood-feeding organisms such as rodents and humans. in this review, we present an overview of the divers ...200618404472
effects of azadirachtin on the development and mortality of lutzomyia longipalpis larvae (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).the effects of azadirachtin a added to the standard diet on the development, mortality, and metamorphosis of lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva, 1912 were studied. concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 microg of azadirachtin/mg of diet significantly increased larval mortality in comparison with nontreated insects. concentrations 0.1 and 1.0 microg blocked the molt of larvae, which remained as third instars until the end of the experiment. the 10 microg/mg concentration resulted in greater molt in ...200616619609
copulation songs in three siblings of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).we present the results of recording male courtship songs of the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis. the striking differences in the songs from 3 brazilian populations of this sandfly with 3 distinct male pheromones support the 3 sibling species previously proposed based on this characteristic.200611925981
aspects related to productivity for four generations of a lutzomyia longipalpis laboratory colony.a closed colony of lutzomyia longipalpis was established with specimens collected in the raposa - serra do sol indian reservoir, one of the main foci of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of roraima, brazil. biological observations were made on four generations of a l. longipalpis colony with emphasis on productivity. aspects studied were the number of laid and retained eggs, and the number of adults (male and female) per generation. during the four generations the percentage of engorged female ...200610733749
morphological study of the larval spiracular system in eight lutzomyia species (diptera: psychodidae).the morphology of the spiracles of fourth instar larva in eight sandfly species were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. species studied were: lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva), l. ovallesi (ortiz), l. youngi feliciangeli & murillo, l. evansi (nuñez-tovar), l. trinidadensis (newstead), l. migonei (frança), l. absonodonta feliciangeli, and l. venezuelensis (floch & abonnenc). in larvae of all eight species both thoracic and abdominal spiracles are located at the top of a globul ...20069698846
the biological clock of an hematophagous insect: locomotor activity rhythms, circadian expression and downregulation after a blood meal.despite the importance of circadian rhythms in vector-borne disease transmission, very little is known about its molecular control in hematophagous insect vectors. in drosophila melanogaster, a negative feedback loop of gene expression has been shown to contribute to the clock mechanism. here, we describe some features of the circadian clock of the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis, a vector of visceral leishmaniasis. compared to d. melanogaster, sandfly period and timeless, two negative elements of ...200616337945
single and concomitant experimental infections by endotrypanum spp. and leishmania (viannia) guyanensis (kinetoplastida: trypanosomatidae) in the neotropical sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).lutzomyia longipalpis females received single and mixed infections with endotrypanum and leishmania. two biological parameters were analyzed: the percentage of infected females and the distribution of flagellates in the gut of the females. the principal comparisons were performed between (1) two strains of endotrypanum, (2) cloned versus primary sample of one strain of endotrypanum, (3) endotrypanum versus leishmania guyanensis, and (4) the pattern of flagellates behaviour by optical microscopy ...200617293978
abundance of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) and urban transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul, brazil.the outspread and urbanization of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul, lead us to undertake the present study over diversity and abundance of sand flies in the urban area to compare with previous search carried out during 1999/2000, before the identification of the disease in the human population. the captures were carried out with automatic light traps, weekly, from february 2004 to february 2005 on three sites including a forested area (zé pereira), two per ...200617293981
analysis of ests from lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies and their contribution toward understanding the insect-parasite relationship.an expressed sequence tag library has been generated from a sand fly vector of visceral leishmaniasis, lutzomyia longipalpis. a normalized cdna library was constructed from whole adults and 16,608 clones were sequenced from both ends and assembled into 10,203 contigs and singlets. of these 58% showed significant similarity to known genes from other organisms, <4% were identical to described sand fly genes, and 42% had no match to any database sequence. our analyses revealed putative proteins inv ...200616887324
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