Sand fly population dynamics in areas of American cutaneous leishmaniasis, Municipality of Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

The present study is the second and last part of the study that investigated the fauna and behavior of sand flies in areas prone to cutaneous leishmaniasis outbreaks, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, in the municipality of Paraty. To collect the sand flies, CDC and Shannon light traps were used, installed in the peridomiciliary and forest areas, and manual suction tubes on the walls of the home and in the animal shelters. A total of 102,937 sand flies, belonging to nine genera and 23 species were captured from October 2009 to September 2012. Regarding the monthly frequency of sand flies, the period of highest density was from November to March, with a maximum peak in January. The lowest density was observed in June and July. In the studied area, the species of epidemiological importance, Nyssomyia intermedia, Pintomyia fischeri, Migonemyia migonei and Nyssomyia whitmani, were found in all months of the year, a period in which residents may be in contact with these vectors of the etiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis.