Fungal and bacterial agents in a colony in laboratory level of Lutzomyia longipalpis Population Empress

Abstract

The colonization of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae), vector of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil, has been bred in laboratory. However, very little is known about the contaminating and the diseases they cause in these colonies. The aim of this paper was to identify the fungal and bacterial contamination in the Lutzomyia longipalpis colony. Sandflies were collected by CDC trap in locality several of studied county Imperatriz, Maranhao State, Brazil and transported to laboratory of Parasitic Diseases of the UFRPE in polystyrene containers to colonization. Blood meal from a hamster was offered to insects and solution sweet and they were kept in a acclimatized camara at 27^oC and 80% relative humidity to oviposition and egg maturation. Everyday the colony was checked to see the evolution and a small amount of larval fish chow was sprinkled in each container. However, it was examined in this study, on the occasion of the observation in the Lutzomyia longipalpis colony, the fungal and bacterial contamination was reported. The results of bacterial and fungal culture showed, Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Proteus sp. and Aspergillus sp. respectively on the Lutzomyia longipalpis colony. However the Staphylococus sp. was isolated from unfertilized eggs and larval stage but Aspergillussp. and Pseudomonas sp. were isolated only from larvae of Lutzomyia longipalpis. The mortality pupae by fungal and bacterial contamination were not observedin this study.