Lutzomyia nuneztovari anglesi (Le Pont & Desjeux, 1984) as a vector of Leishmaniia amazonensis in a sub-Andean Leishmaniasis focus of Bolivia

Recently, a new Leishmania amazonensis focus was described in a sub-Andean region (1,450-2,100 meters above sea level) of Bolivia. In this area, three anthropophilic sandfly species were identified: Lutzomyia nuneztovari angl esi Le Pont & Desjeux, 1984, which represented 86-99% of the captures, Lu. galatiae Le Pont et al., 1998, and Lu. shannoni Dyar 1929. Only Lu. nunezto vari anglesi was found naturally infected by flagellates (16 of 1,715 femal es). Three Leishmania stocks were isolated and analyzed by isoenzyme electr ophoresis at 11 loci. No significant isoenzymatic differences were demonstr ated between them and 7 stocks isolated from patients from the same area, a nd previously characterized as L. amazonensis. Moreover, in a simplified pr otocol, the experimental infection of Lu. nuneztovari anglesi by L. amazone nsis was successful in 92% of the surviving specimens. These data are discu ssed in relation to the Killick-Kendrick criteria. These results strongly s uggest that Lu, nuneztovari anglesi is the vector of L. amazonensis at Caju ata, Inquisivi, La Pat, Bolivia.