Environmental sanitation and peri-domiciliar organisation as auxiliary practices for the control of phlebotomines in Parana State, southern Brazil

Studies were conducted to compare the results of the collections of phlebot omines, in two distinct periods, i.e. before and after changed environmenta l conditions in Jussara county, Parana State, Brazil. Collections were made near to a forest in Jussara farm, between February and April 1992. Six Fal cao light traps were installed in houses and animals' shelters. Catches wer e made once a month and 35,783 phlebotomines were captured. Based on these data, sanitation sr,as done in peridomiciliary area and domestic animals sh elters were separated from domiciles in January 1994. Then during February to April 1994 using the same methodology new phlebotomines catches were mad e. The results showed that an average of just 150 (6,311/42) phlebotomines per hour were collected at this time in contrast with an average of 3,976 ( 35,783/9) in 1992. The separation of domestic animals shelters from human d welling may contribute to diminish the phlebotomine population and attenuat e the risk of Leishmania transmission in epidemic areas of cutaneous leishm aniasis.