Study of blood-feeding insects as sentinels in the detection of Leishmania species circulation

• Grant number: 18/05133-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Marcia Aparecida Speranca
• Grantee: Leticia Abrantes de Andrade
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Leishmaniasis, caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, forms a complex of anthropozoonotic diseases characterized by the interaction of parasites, invertebrate vectors, vertebrate hosts and reservoirs, with environmental, social and human factors. Infected dipteran insect females of Phlebotominae subfamily transmit the parasite to their vertebrate hosts, including humans and dogs, which can develop two characteristic types of leishmaniasis, the cutaneous leishmaniasis (LT), associated with the appearance of skin ulcers and mucosa damages, resulting in nasopharynx disfigurement; and the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) characterized by chronicity, and infection of the heart, liver and spleen, which could lead the affected individual to death if not treated. The knowledge of the circulation of Leishmania genus parasites in a certain area can help the public health institutions in the planning of strategies to control the transmission of LT and LV. The detection of circulating infectious agents through the use of sensitive and specific biomarkers in sentinel organisms has been a successful alternative, for example, in the detection of Yellow Fever Virus through identification of affected macaques. Another example is the identification of pollutants in the aquatic environment, including rivers, lakes and oceans related to industrial and agricultural activities. Blood-feeding insects suckle on different hosts and the nucleic acids of infectious agents that circulate in the ingested blood can be detected by polymerase chain reaction. The aim of this project is to detect the circulation of Leishmania species in Marília, State of São Paulo, through the use of blood-feeding insects as sentinels and the gene that encodes the chitinase of these parasites as a biomarker. (AU)