Lutzomyia intermedia as a suspected vector of Leishmania viannia braziliensis in Bahia State, Brazil.

We have reported the predominance of Lutzo­ myia whitmani in the peridomicile in our field project area of Tres Braços, Bahia3 where 99% of phlebotomines captured were of this species. This is the suspected vector of Leishmania viannia braziliensis (Lvb) and to date three wild caught flies have been found to harbour this parasite of over 18,000 dissected2. We wish to record here the presence of another suspected vector of Lvb in peridomicile captures using human bait at a farm 40 miles south of Tres Bra­ ços. These captures are recorded in the Table 1 from Fazenda Vovo where ten cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis occurred in 1986. Each capture unit represents one man hour. As can be seen monthly observations were not possible over a single year but usually the number of L. intermedia exceed L. whitmani. This is in contrast to our previous findings in Tres Braços and suggests that L. intermedia must also be considered as a potential vector in this region since Lvb was the parasite isolated from the human infections. L. intermedia constituted 85% of captures in a recent report from São Paulo state where it is suspected to be the vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis1.