Resumo: A leishmaniose tegumentar americana é uma endemia que aumentou consideravelmente nas últimas décadas na região amazônica, os flebotomíneos são os vetores da transmissão do protozoário causador da leishmaniose, portanto o objetivo deste estudo foi realizar um levantamento da diversidade de espécies e a presença de DNA de Leishmania em vetores que circulam em três municípios endêmicos de leishmaniose tegumentar na Amazônia oriental brasileira (Amapá, Brasil). Usando armadilhas luminosas do tipo CDC, um total de 10.773 espécimes foram coletados entre fevereiro de 2019 e fevereiro de 2020, representando 64 espécies em 15 gêneros. As espécie vetoras - singular Nyssomyia umbratilis Ward e Frahia 1977 foram as espécies predominantes (13,20% do total), sendo coletadas nos três municípios, seguido por Trichopygomyia trichopyga Floch & Abonnenc, 1945 (11,41%), Trichophoromyia ubiquitalis Mangabeira, 1942 (9,47%) e Nyssomyia anduzei Rozeboom, 1942 (7,61%). Para a identificação do DNA de Leishmania, foram utilizados 775 pools de fêmeas não ingurgitadas, dos quais 5 foram positivos, 2 de Nyssomya umbratilis Ward & Fraiha, 1977, 1 de Nyssomyia anduzei e 2 de Psychodopygus davisi Root, 1934, demonstrando uma taxa de infecção total de 0,64%. Este estudo aumenta o conhecimento da diversidade de vetores, bem como a identificação das espécies de Leishmania spp. em circulação na região oriental da Amazônia.

Abstract: American tegumentary leishmaniasis is an endemic that has increased considerably in recent decades in the Amazon region, sand flies are the vectors of the transmission of the protozoan that causes leishmaniasis, so the objective of this study was to carry out a survey of the diversity of species and the presence of Leishmania DNA in vectors circulating in three endemic counties for tegumentary leishmaniasis in the eastern Brazilian Amazon (Amapá state, Brazil). Using CDC light traps, a total of 10,773 specimens were collected between February 2019 and February 2020, representing 64 species in 15 genera. The vector specie Nyssomyia umbratilis Ward and Frahia, 1977 was the predominant species (13.20% of the total), being collected in all three counties, followed by Trichopygomyia trichopyga Floch & Abonnenc, 1945 (11.41%), Trichophoromyia ubiquitalis Mangabeira,1942 (9.47%) and Nyssomyia anduzei Rozeboom, 1942 (7.61%). For the identification of Leishmania DNA, 775 pools of unengorged females were used, of which 5 tested positive, 2 of Nyssomya umbratilis Ward & Fraiha,1977, 1 of Nyssomyia anduzei and 2 of Psychodopygus davisi Root,1934, demonstrating a natural total infection rate of 0.64%. This study increases the knowledge of vector diversity, as well as identifying Leishmania spp. in circulation in the eastern region of the Amazon.

ABSTRACT Notifications concerning American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) are increasing in the northern areas of Brazil, particularly due to the ongoing increase in human settlements inside the Amazon Forest. Notwithstanding the economical and sanitary importance of the ATL, the ecological aspects of its potential vectors, the Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), remains largely neglected. This study aimed to investigate the diversity of the phlebotomine fauna as well as the detection of Leishmania DNA in these insects in the rural settlement Perimetral Norte, in the state of Amapá, eastern region of the Amazon, endemic region for tegumentary leishmaniasis. Sand flies were collected bimonthly from February 2018 to February 2019, using CDC light traps exposed for three consecutive nights in 10 houses of settlement residents. DNA extraction and multiplex PCR were performed to detect trypanosomatids. A total of 3,946 sandflies belonging to 37 species were collected. The most abundant species were Ty. trichopyga (Floch & Abonnenc, 1945) (21.9%) and Mi. rorotaensis (Floch & Abonnenc, 1944) (16.9%). A total of 36 positive pools were found with Leishmania DNA (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), representing 17.9% of the total pools tested (201), those with the highest Minimum infection rates were Mg. migonei (França, 1920) and Lu. gomezi (Nitzulescu, 1931), Leishmania DNA was also detected in Bi. flaviscutellata (Mangabeira, 1942), Ny. umbratilis (Ward & Fraiha, 1977), Ny. anduzei (Roseboom, 1942) and Ny. antunesi (Coutinho, 1939). These data confirm the probable participation of these four species in the tegumentary leishmaniasis cycle in the eastern Amazon.