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Published on: January 9, 2013
Bloodmeal Identification in Field-Collected Sand Flies From Casa Branca, Brazil, Using the Cytochrome b PCR Method
G M L Carvalho1, F D Rêgo1, A Tanure1
1Grupo de Estudos em Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715 Barro Preto, CEP 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Abstract:
PCR-based identification of vertebrate host bloodmeals has been performed on several vectors species with success. In the present study, we used a previously published PCR protocol followed by DNA sequencing based on primers designed from multiple alignments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene used to identify avian and mammalian hosts of various hematophagous vectors. The amplification of a fragment encoding a 359 bp sequence of the Cyt b gene yielded recognized amplification products in 192 female sand flies (53%), from a total of 362 females analyzed. In the study area of Casa Branca, Brazil, blood-engorged female sand flies such as Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912), Migonemyia migonei (França, 1924), and Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho, 1939) were analyzed for bloodmeal sources. The PCR-based method identified human, dog, chicken, and domestic rat blood sources.
