Spatio—Temporal distribution of a vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis: Pintomyia longiflocosa, in a population from the Colombian Andean Mountains

by Astrid Muñoz-Ortiz, Miguel Beltrán, Jennifer Vargas Durango, Gelys Mestre, Erika Santamaria Herreño, Jesús E. Escovar

Background

Leishmaniasis, a neglected disease and public health concern, is associated with various factors such as biological, social, economical conditions and climate, increasing the risk of human infection. Understanding the population dynamics of the vectors, like Pintomyia longiflocosa, and its relationship with ecological variables is crucial for developing effective strategies to control sand fly populations and combat cutaneous leishmaniasis in a tropical country like Colombia.

Methodology

Adult sand flies were collected in three different sample locations: outdoor, indoor, and peri-domestic areas in three houses located in the rural settlement of Campoalegre (Huila) between February 2020 and February 2021, using the CDC light traps. The sand fly density was quantified and associated with the sample locations and the sampling months using Analysis of Variance and Pearson correlations.

Principal findings

In the period of the sample, 98.86% of sand fly collected was identified as Pi. longiflocosa. The density of this species was significantly different between males and females, the latter contributing more to density in all sample locations (P<0.0001). The outdoor was the sample location with the highest and most significative density in this study (70%, P = 0.04). The density of these sand flies is related to the seasonality of Campoalegre, revealing a density peak from February and June to October (P < 0.05). Finally, precipitation is the environmental variable prominently linked to the density pattern, showing a negative correlation with it. Months with the highest precipitations show the lowest values of Pi. longiflocosa abundance.

Conclusions/Signicance

Our investigation reveals a inverse correlation between precipitation levels and the abundance of Pi. longiflocosa in Campoalegre (Huila), particularly in outdoor areas. This suggests that vector control strategies to periods of reduced precipitation in outdoor settings could offer an effective approach to minimizing cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the region.