Complex ecological interactions across a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Eastern Colombia: novel description of Leishmania species, hosts and phlebotomine fauna

Abstract

This study aimed to analyse the patterns of diversity, blood sources and Leishmania species of phlebotomines in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Arboledas, Eastern Colombia. In total, 1729 phlebotomines were captured in two localities (62.3% Siravita and 37.7% Cinera) and five environments of Norte de Santander. We identified 18 species of phlebotomines: Pintomyia ovallesi (29.8%), Psychodopygus davisi (20.3%), Pi. spinicrassa (18.5%) and Lutzomyia gomezi (15.8%) showed the highest abundance. Species diversities were compared between Cinera (15.00) and Siravita (20.00) and among five microenvironments: forest remnants (19.49), coffee plantations (12.5), grassland (12.99), cane plantations (11.66) and citrus plantations (12.22). Leishmania DNA was detected in 5.8% (80/1380) of females, corresponding mainly to Pi . ovallesi (22/80; 27.2%), Lu . gomezi (17/80; 21.3%) and Pi . spinicrassa (11/80; 13.8%). Leishmania species were 63.1% L. braziliensis , 18.5% L . panamensis , 13.2% L . infantum and 6.1% L . amazonensis . The most frequent feeding sources were Homo sapiens (50%), Bos taurus (13.8%) and Canis lupus familiaris (10.3%). This focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis has a high diversity of Leishmania -carrying phlebotomines that feed on domestic animals. The transmission of leishmaniasis to human hosts was mainly associated with Lu . gomezi , Pi . ovallesi and L . braziliensis .