Detection of Leishmania within Sand Flies by Kinetoplast DNA Hybridization

William O. Rogers
Search for other papers by William O. Rogers in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Paulo F. Burnheim Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Manaus, Avenida Dom Pedro Texeira, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

Search for other papers by Paulo F. Burnheim in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Dyann F. Wirth
Search for other papers by Dyann F. Wirth in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access

A kinetoplast DNA hybridization probe method was used to detect Leishmania within sand flies and to distinguish it from the non-pathogenic flagellate, Endotrypanum. Eighty-one sand flies (74 Lutzomyia umbratilis, 1 Lu. anduzei, and 6 Lu. shannoni) collected outside Manaus, Brazil were dissected. Forty-four of these were found to be infected with flagellates, and 2 hybridized with a Leishmania braziliensis probe. Thirty-three of sixty-one flies reprobed with an Endotrypanum probe were positive.

Author Notes

Save