hsp70 PCR-RFLP as an alternative tool to identify Sauroleishmania species.

Sauroleishmania spp. comprises one of the four Leishmania subgenera, which has been historically considered a non-pathogenic protozoan of reptiles. However, some strains appear to be transiently infective to mammals, and recent findings have detected these parasites in dogs and humans in areas where leishmaniasis is endemic.

Molecular Detection of spp. and Blood Source of Female Sand Flies in the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce and Municipality of Timóteo, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Leishmaniasis is a group of diseases caused by protozoa of the genus and is transmitted by the bite female sand fly. The present work is characterized as a descriptive study in two areas: a forest area located in the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, and another urban area located in the municipality of Timóteo-MG, with the objective of identifying the presence of spp. and the blood source of the collected female sand flies.

Leishmania infantum detection in Nyssomyia neivai and dogs in Southern Brazil.

Background: The sand fly Nyssomyia neivai is one of the most abundant species in Southern Brazil. It is frequently found in areas that are foci of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of Santa Catarina, caused by Leishmania infantum. In this region, the main vector of L.

Rhabdoviral Endogenous Sequences Identified in the Leishmaniasis Vector Are Widespread in Sandflies from South America.

Sandflies are known vectors of leishmaniasis. In the Old World, sandflies are also vectors of viruses while little is known about the capacity of New World insects to transmit viruses to humans. Here, we relate the identification of RNA sequences with homology to rhabdovirus nucleocapsids (NcPs) genes, initially in the LL5 cell lineage, named NcP1.

DNA Barcoding Culicoides Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Northeast Brazil.

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are small insects associated with the transmission of several pathogens, which requires the correct identification of the species, for implementation of effective strategies against these insects. However, many species are difficult to identify only by morphological characters. Therefore, the use of molecular methods can help in the taxonomy and systematics of this group.

DNA barcoding of sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) from the western Brazilian Amazon.

The subfamily Phlebotominae comprises important insects for public health. The use of complementary tools such as molecular taxonomy is necessary for interspecific delimitation and/or discovery of cryptic species. Here, we evaluated the DNA barcoding tool to identify different species in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon.

Oral and Intragastric: New Routes of Infection by and ?

Although transmission in nature is associated with the bite of an infected sandfly vector, other possible transmission routes are speculated to occur, such as the oral route. We evaluated the possibility of infection by this route in golden hamsters () using (Lb) and (Li). Hamsters were exposed to experimental oral or intragastrical infection with axenic promastigotes, besides oral ingestion of a suspension of cultivated macrophages infected with amastigotes, lesion-fed skin lesion or infective spleen fragment.

Generalizability of Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Prediction Models: 158 Independent External Validations of 104 Unique Models.

Background: While clinical prediction models (CPMs) are used increasingly commonly to guide patient care, the performance and clinical utility of these CPMs in new patient cohorts is poorly understood.

Methods: We performed 158 external validations of 104 unique CPMs across 3 domains of cardiovascular disease (primary prevention, acute coronary syndrome, and heart failure). Validations were performed in publicly available clinical trial cohorts and model performance was assessed using measures of discrimination, calibration, and net benefit.

Insecticide-impregnated netting: A surface treatment for killing (Diptera: Psychodidae), the vector of .

The sand fly is the main vector of in Brazil. Synthetic male-produced sex/aggregation pheromone co-located with micro-encapsulated λ-cyhalothrin in chicken sheds can significantly reduce canine infection and sand fly densities in a lure-and-kill strategy. In this study, we determined if insecticide-impregnated netting (IN) could replace insecticide residual spraying (IRS).

Diversity of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Rural Settlements and Degraded Seasonal Deciduous Forests.

Biting midges are widespread in Brazilian natural ecosystems. However, deforestation and other activities that impact the environment are reducing natural habitats where biting midges proliferate. The objective of this study was to verify whether there is variation in the composition, richness, abundance, and seasonality of biting midges between wild and rural environments, in a forest area with intense deforestation.