Lutzomyia longipalpis abundance in the city of Posadas, northeastern Argentina: variation at different spatial scales

SANTINI MS; FERNÁNDEZ MS; PEREZ AA; SANDOVAL EA; SALOMON OD

MEMóRIAS DO INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ.

FUNDACO OSWALDO CRUZ

Lugar: Rio de Janeiro; Año: 2012 vol. 107 p. 767 - 771

0074-0276

The distribution of Lutzomyia longipalpis is heterogeneous with a pattern of high abundance areas (HAAs) embedded in a matrix of low abundance areas (LAAs). The objective of this study was to describe the variability in the abundance of Lu. longipalpis at two different spatial levels and to analyse the relationship between the abundance and multiple environmental variables. Of the environmental variables analysed in each household, the condition that best explained the differences in vector abundance between HAA-LAA was the variable ?land_grass?, with greater average values in the peridomestic environments within the LAA, and the variables ?#sp tree?, ?#pots? and ?dist_water? that were higher in the HAA. Of the environmental variables analysed in the patches, the variable ?unpaved_streets? was higher in the LAAs and the variable ?prop_inf _dogs? was higher in the HAAs. An understanding of the main environmental variables that inf luence the vector distribution could contribute to the development of strategies for the preven-tion and control of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). This is the first work in which environmental variables are analysed at the micro-scale in urban areas at the southern edge of the current range of Lu. longipalpis. Our results represent a significant contribution to the understanding of the abundance of the vector in the peridomestic habitats of the region.