NATURAL LEISHMANIA INFECTION OF LUTZOMYIA SPP IN PERU

Natural infection of Lutzomyia spp. with Leishmania was studied with t he aid of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in Chaute, Lima, Peru, a locality endemic for Andean cutaneous leishmaniasis (uta). The PCR, w ith primers specific for the L. braziliensis complex, was applied to s andfly pools. Sandflies were sampled from April 1990 to May 1991 with CDC light traps in homes, and from near homes with a Shannon trap usin g protected human bait. Lu. verrucarum (4 pools) and Lu. peruensis (2 pools) from the anthropophilic collections, and Lu. verrucarum (2 pool s) from indoors were found to be infected with Leishmania. The majorit y of infected sandflies were recorded mainly in April 1991 (4 pools), coinciding with the highest sandfly densities and the maximum number o f new cases of uta (7). Non-infected sandflies were found from May to October 1990 and January to March 1991. Thus, these 2 sandfly species play a role in the spread of leishmaniasis among humans and other anim als in