Leishmania (Viannia) peruviana isolated from the sandfly Lutzomyia peruensis (Diptera: Psychodidae) and a sentinel hamster in the Huayllacallán Valley, Ancash, Peru
Perez, J.E.; Villaseca, P.; Caceres, A.; Lopez, M.; Zolessi, A.; Campos, M.; Guerra, H.; Llanos-Cuentas, A.
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 85(1): 60
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-9203 PMID: 2068762 Document Number: 374406
In a study of Andean leishmaniasis (uta) in the Huayllacallan valley, Ancash, Peru, sandflies were collected using Shannon traps with protected human bait (and stored in liquid nitrogen), and sentinel hamsters were maintained in sandfly resting sites for periods of 3 months. Motile parasites were detected in 33 of 293 Lutzomyia peruensis, 23 of 126 L. verrucarum and none of 2 L. caballeroi. Material from the infected flies was individually inoculated into the footpad and nose of hamsters, and another 1347 specimens of the same 3 species were inoculated into 98 hamsters in pools consisting of the same species and batch. Only one hamster (inoculated with material from a single L. peruensis) developed an ulcerating skin swelling. The parasite was isolated and coded IPRN/PE/87Lp72. A 2nd isolate was obtained from a sentinel hamster from Huanchoc (2700 m) were L. peruensis (66% female) formed 89% of the sandfly population found in resting sites. It was coded MMES/PE/88/Centinela. The polymerase chain reaction and isoenzyme electrophoresis characterized the isolates as Leishmania (V.) peruviana.