FIOCRUZ | Levantamento de flebotomíneos da Terra Indígena Suruwaha, Sul do Amazonas, Brasil

Occurrence data from the Suruwaha Indigenous Land (southern Amazonas state), collected between 2012-1013. Transmission of ACL in the south of the Amazon river system are poorly understood (Arias & Freitas 1978; Justiniano et al. 2004). Although it has often been stated that human Leishmania infection is either rare or absent south of the Negro and Amazon rivers (Arias & Freitas 1978; Lainson et al. 1981), the incidence of leishmaniasis in humans in some of these areas is equivalent to the incidence at north of the Negro and Amazon rivers (SINAN/FVS/MS 2010; IBGE 2010). Guerra et al. (2011) described the epidemiology of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) south of the Amazon River, and not only found a high prevalence of this form of the disease, but also a distribution of Leishmania species similar to the distribution found north of the Amazon River. However, the etiologic agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has not been identified, and the source of sylvatic infection and the vectors involved in transmission are not known south of the Amazon river system (Lainson & Shaw 1979; Arias & Freitas 1978). The Suruwaha are comprised of a population of approximately 150 people whose only contact with non-indigenous people is through health and FUNAI (Fundação Nacional do Índio, the Brazilian government agency responsible for protecting indigenous people) workers. The Suruwaha live in a very remote location, far from urban areas and they manufacture of utensils, being agriculture and hunting the main activities of this people. Entomological research in the Suruwaha territory was carried out in order to contribute to the understanding of disease transmission dynamics as there was an increase in the number of cases recorded among the Suruwaha between 2010 and 2012, and this increase is likely related to distribution of flashlights in late 2010 to the entire community, as requested by the Suruwaha. This seems to be the main cause of the increase in ACL, as it led to changes in the Suruwaha's hunting habits from strictly diurnal to nocturnal and coincides with the probable period of transmission by sand flies that present crepuscular activity.